Health authorities in Kerala, India, have issued a warning following the death of a 14-year-old boy from the Nipah virus.
The state’s Health Minister, Veena George, confirmed that the boy, from Pandikkad, passed away on Sunday, just one day after being diagnosed with the virus.
An additional 60 individuals identified as high-risk contacts are being isolated and tested.
Residents in the affected area have been advised to take preventive measures, including wearing masks in public and avoiding hospital visits.
The Nipah virus, classified as a “zoonotic illness” by the World Health Organization (WHO), is transmitted from animals like pigs and fruit bats to humans.
It can also spread through contaminated food or contact with an infected person.
The WHO has highlighted Nipah as a priority pathogen due to its potential to cause an epidemic.
The virus has been linked to multiple fatalities in Kerala since its first appearance in 2018.
According to Indian media, the virus has a high-risk presence in Kerala, a state with conditions that favor its spread due to rapid urbanization and deforestation.
An investigation by Reuters last year pointed out that Kerala’s tropical climate and environmental changes create “ideal conditions” for Nipah’s emergence.
As a result, the state government is formulating an action plan to prevent future outbreaks. Last year, Kerala had to close schools and offices following the confirmation of five cases.
Source-BBC
