World
The virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in the state of Kerala since it was first recorded in 2018. Residents of the region have been advised to wear masks in public places and to avoid visiting patients in hospitals.
Health professionals transfer people who have been in contact with a Nipah virus infected person to an isolation center in a hospital in Kozikode, Kerala.
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A 14-year-old boy has died infected with theNipah virus, in the Indian state of Kerala, health authorities report.
The BBC, quoting the state health minister, reveals that the young man lived in the town of Pandikkad and that family members and all those who came into contact with him will be isolated and tested.
Local press reports that the teenager’s death occurred on Sunday, just a day after he was diagnosed.
The World Health Organization has already described the virus as a priority pathogen due to its potential to trigger an outbreak. The virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in the state of Kerala since it was first recorded in 2018.
Residents of the region have been advised to wear masks in public places and to avoid visiting patients in hospitals. The Health Ministry indicates that 60 people have been identified as potential carriers of the Nipah virus.
The infection with this virus is a zoonosis transmitted from animals such as pigs and bats to humans, but can also be transmitted through contaminated food and contact with an infected person.
Symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat, which may be followed by altered consciousness, acute encephalitis, atypical pneumonia, and severe respiratory problems.
Last year, the authorities in Kerala closed schools and offices after five cases were confirmed in the region.