Nipah Virus Death Toll Now 13, One More Dies in Kozhikode

News of fresh cases of Nipah virus has come down, but a woman under treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College hospital died of Nipah virus infection on Saturday, taking the disease toll in Kerala to 13.

News of fresh cases of Nipah virus has come down, but a woman under treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College hospital died of Nipah virus infection on Saturday, taking the disease toll in Kerala to 13, officials said.

Kalayani, 62, had been admitted to the hospital on May 16.

Nipah Virus (NiV) | Hendra Virus - Causes, Symptoms, Consequences, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention
Nipah Virus (NiV) or Hendra virus is a deadly virus that spreads via contact with the saliva, urine, or excreta of fruit bats or pigs. Nipah outbreak is an emerging zoonosis which had resulted in fatal deaths in Kerala, India.

‘Fear of Nipah virus infection gripped people in Kerala once again when a 62-year old woman died of the infectious disease at the Kozhikode medical college hospital taking the death toll to 13.’

A majority of the deaths from Nipah virus infection have been reported from Kozhikode, while the others are in the nearby Malappuram district.

Close to 200 patients in these two districts are being treated in hospitals, with 26 under observation and three who have tested positive under intensive treatment.

Meanwhile, five medical professionals are being sent to Delhi for an intensive course at the Safdarjung Hospital there to learn the treatment protocols to be followed in such cases.

Vaccine Against Nipah Virus Proves Successful in Animal Study
A vaccine against Nipah virus has been successfully tested in monkeys by scientists. The virus emerged during a large outbreak of infection and disease among pigs and pig farmers in Southeast Asia.

Nipah virus is transmitted to humans through infected fruit bats, pigs or other Nipah-infected persons.

With test results showing that a particular variety of bats, found in and around Kozhikode and mostly at the worst-affected Perambara town near here, is not carrying the virus, a special team from Pune is arriving to see how best they can take samples from other varieties of bats also found in this district.

Nipah Virus Outbreak: Ten Die, Two Serious in Kerala
The Nipah virus (NiP) outbreak, currently identified in Kerala has claimed ten lives on Tuesday, report officials.

In a related development, a police probe, initiated to find out the travel itinerary of the virus' first victim Sabith, found out that he never visited Malaysia but had been in the United Arab Emirates, from where he had returned in October last year.

Nipah Virus (NiV) Takes Lives in Kozhikode Post Fever
Nipah virus (NiV), spread by fruit bats takes the lives of two people due to high fever in Kozhikode, say officials.

Source-IANS