The Kerala Health Department on Monday issued a health alert in Kozhikode district after two deaths were suspected to be due to Nipah virus infection, which it described as “unnatural”.
As reported by PTI, the state’s health minister, Veena George, conducted a high-level meeting to assess the situation, as the health department said in a statement on Monday night.
It said two “unnatural” deaths following fever were reported from a private hospital and suspected to be due to the Nipah virus.
Additionally, it has been learned that a relative of one of the deceased has also been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Notably, deaths due to Nipah virus infection occurred earlier in Kozhikode district, reported both in 2018 and 2021. The initial Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in South India was first detected in Kozhikode on May 19, 2018.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is classified as a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. Additionally, it can spread through contaminated food or direct person-to-person contact.
In people who are infected with the virus, it can cause a variety of health conditions, including asymptomatic (subclinical) infections, where there may not be noticeable symptoms, acute respiratory illness, and in severe cases severe encephalitis.
“The virus can also cause serious disease in animals such as pigs, causing significant economic losses to farmers”, the WHO said.
