23-yr old infected with Nipah virus in Kerala: All you should know

What is this 'deadly Nipah virus'? Can it be contained? How does it spread? How is one infected by Nipah and what is the cure? - these are some of the points we've covered here.

Almost a year after 'Nipah' (NiV) caused panic in Kerala after claiming over 17 lives, the deadly virus is back in the state. On Tuesday, Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja confirmed that a 23-year-old college has been infected with the Nipah virus in Kochi. The results of blood samples of the student were tested at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The government is preparing a list of people who were in contact with the infected youth. The government has so far listed out at least 86 people who he came in contact with recently. They have been kept under observation and asked to report to the nearest medical facility if they develop influenza-like symptoms like fever, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat.

Health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan told reporters that there is no need to panic, after chairing high level meeting on Nipah Virus in Kerala this morning.

He also said that the wildlife department had been asked to capture bats for testing of the virus.

This is the fourth outbreak reported in India, with previous ones having occurred in 2001 (45 deaths), 2007 (5 deaths) and 2018 (17 deaths). What is this 'deadly Nipah virus'? Can it be contained? How does it spread? How is one infected by Nipah and what is the cure? - these are some of the points we've covered here.

What is Nipah virus (NiV)?

Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a zoonosis that can affect both humans and animals. Zoonosis refers to a disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals.

According to WHO, the host of Nipah virus is fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus (fruit-eating species).

How does it spread?

Nipah virus can spread through direct contact with infected bats, pigs, or from other NiV-infected people.

Symptoms of the Nipah virus
Typically, human infection presents as an encephalitic syndrome marked by fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion, coma, and potentially death.

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Deadly Nipah virus: Fruit and vegetables from Kerala banned in Gulf

Region takes about a third of all Indian fruit shipment and quarter of vegetables sold abroad; consignments from other states could face ban, too, if virus not contained.

With Kerala continuing to battle the infectious and deadly Nipah virus , all fruit and vegetables from the state have been banned in the majority of nations across the Arabian Gulf. The region is India's largest export market. Nipah has claimed 17 lives till now.

Last week, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had ordered complete import restriction on fruit and vegetables from Kerala. Over this weekend, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait also announced officially that import in both categories would stop till further notice.

Since most countries in the region have similar and closely knit Customs rules, media reports from Oman suggest it might also follow.

The brain-damaging Nipah virus appeared in Kerala early last month. It is contagious and there is no vaccine for it. The natural host of the virus is a fruit bat of the Pteropodidae family, according to the World Health Organization. As a result, major importing nations are now wary of produce grown in Kerala and have also issued severe travel advisories against visiting the state. The timing is expected to hit the southern state hard, as fruit export generally swells in the hot month of Ramzan, currently on.

“Right now, it is difficult for Customs inspections at ports to find out whether any consignment is infected, since the foods do not show any physical signs. Other Indian states might come under the restriction if the virus spreads," said Ali Shaaban Balah, acting chief of the plant protection & quarantine section at the ministry of works, municipalities and urban planning in the government of Bahrain.

The Gulf region is India’s largest market for fruit and vegetables, with the UAE being the single biggest importing nation on both counts. Export to the nations in the Gulf cumulatively make about 35 per cent of all fruit shipment and nearly a quarter of all vegetable ones from India, according to data from the commerce ministry.

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Nipah outbreak: 9 die in Kerala, no treatment available; all we know so far

Kerala govt has made all necessary arrangements to stem the spread of panic due to the virus infection whose first outbreak was in Malaysia and has claimed as many as 300 lives since.

The deadly Nipah virus (NiV), which has so far killed nine people in Kerala, is reported to be fast-spreading. While the state government has made all necessary arrangements to stem the spread of panic and sanctioned an emergency fund of Rs 2 million (Rs 20 lakh) to the Kozhikode Medical College to tackle the fever outbreak, the Centre on Monday sent a multi-disciplinary National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) team.


In a series of tweets on Monday evening, Kerala  Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office said the "government is closely monitoring the spread of the Nipah virus. Health department is doing everything possible to save the lives of the infected & prevent the advance of virus".


CM Vijayan further assured that the state's health minister and labour minister were camped at the affected district of Kozhikode to lead the relief efforts. Private hospitals had also been instructed to not deny treatment to anyone suffering from fever, Vijayan said.


CM Pinarayi Vijayan has informed that Government is closely monitoring the spread of the Nipah virus. Health department is doing everything possible to save the lives of the infected & prevent the advance of virus.

National Institute of Virology has confirmed from the studies on blood samples that 3 out of the 4 deaths attributed to fever was caused by the virus. The first death was reported on 19th ; the Union Health Ministry & World Health organization were contacted on the day itself.

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