An outbreak of a deadly virus that has flu-like symptoms has claimed 10 lives in the southern Indian state of Kerala. “It is confirmed that 10 people have died from contacting the virus,’’ State Health Official, KJ Reena said. He said two more confirmed Nipah cases are critical and under intensive care in quarantine facilities.
Seven others were also being treated in isolation wards in hospitals, while 94 people had been quarantined in their homes on suspicion of being infected by the virus.
Reena said most of these people were those, who had come in contact with the first three confirmed cases, who had died, two brothers and their aunt from a village in Khozikode district .
The first death occurred on Friday.
A well in the yard of this family’s home had been identified as the epicentre of the virus after a bat was found in it. The well had been sealed off.
The WHO had said fruit bats have been found to be a natural host of the virus.
There is no vaccine for the Nipah virus, which the WHO says is a highly infectious disease that can cause inflammation of the brain.
The virus can be transferred from animals to humans.
Symptoms of Nipah
Named after the Malaysian village where it was first discovered, its symptoms include high fever, headaches, convulsions and respiratory issues.
It has a mortality rate of about 70 per cent.
An emergency has been declared in Khozikode and Mallapuram districts where all the deaths have occurred.
