Nipah virus outbreak: Death toll rises to 14 in Kerala, two more cases confirmed

READ | What is Nipah virus?

“These included the samples of the bats which were found in the well in a house in Kerala’s Perambra from where the initial death was reported. They have tested negative for the Nipah virus,” the official said.

READ | Nipah virus hits monsoon retreat to north Kerala

To prevent the spread of the virus, alerts were sounded in Bihar, Sikkim, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Advisories urging people to take precaution against the virus were issued, asking them to monitor fever cases if anybody has a history of travel to the affected areas, for instance, to Kerala recently.

The Sikkim health department in its statement said, “Though there is a minimal possibility of Nipah virus in Sikkim, the people need to take precaution.” It advised people not to eat fruits and vegetables bitten by birds, bats and animals.

A newly-emerging zoonosis, Nipah virus (NiV) infection causes severe disease in animals and humans. The natural host of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus. At present, there is no vaccine or drug to treat NiV infection in humans or animals. The primary treatment for human cases is intensive supportive care.