Health authorities in India’s Kerala state have issued an alert after a 14-year-old boy died of the Nipah virus. Health Minister Veena George said those who came into contact with the boy have been isolated and tested. People in the area have been asked to take precautions, such as wearing masks in public.
According to the World Health Organization, Nipah virus infection is transmitted by animals such as pigs and bats. It can also be transmitted through contaminated food and through contact with an infected person.
The WHO has described the virus as a priority pathogen because of its potential to cause an epidemic that, if not brought under control, could replicate the situation of Covid-19. The virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in the state of Kerala since it was first reported there in 2018. An investigation published by Reuters last year found that Kerala, which is a tropical state and is witnessing rapid urbanization , created “ideal conditions for the emergence of a virus like Nipah”. Experts say that due to habitat loss, animals live in close proximity to humans and this helps the virus jump from animals to humans.
The typical symptoms of this virus are: high temperature, muscle pain, burning throat and vomiting, these signs are very similar to those of Covid-19.
