A 24-year-old student has died from the Nipah virus in the southern Indian state of Kerala, a local medical official said on Monday. 151 people who had contact with the victim are being monitored to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
This is the second death from the Nipah virus in Kerala since July. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies the virus as a priority pathogen due to its potential to cause epidemics. There is no vaccine to prevent or treat the infection.
Nipah, which is carried by bats and animals such as pigs, can cause a fatal fever with brain swelling in humans. The student developed fever symptoms on Sept. 4 and died five days later, said Renuka, a medical officer in Malappuram district in northern Kerala.
A test of the victim’s blood sample sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune on September 9 confirmed that he had Nipah infection. Five other people who showed initial symptoms of Nipah infection had their blood samples taken and sent for tests, the doctor said, but did not specify whether they were primary contacts of the deceased.
151 people are being monitored for symptoms after they were found to be part of the primary contact list of the victim who travelled from Bengaluru.
This is the second death due to Nipah infection in Malappuram this year after a 14-year-old boy succumbed to it in July. Since its first emergence in the state in 2018, the Nipah virus has caused scores of deaths in Kerala.
Cursor previously reported that the virus discovered by scientists in Antarctica had severely mutated and managed to infect birds and mammals.
