New Nipah virus in Kerala less infectious but more fatal

The new strain of the Nipah virus, which has infected four people in Kerala, is less infectious but more fatal, according to the experts.

According to the reports, teams from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, would be visiting Kerala and set up a mobile lab at Kozhikode Medical College to test for Nipah and carry out survey of bats.

The Kerala government told the state assembly every possible measure was being taken to check the spread of the virus and provide the best treatment to the affected people.

So far four people have reportedly been infected by the Nipah virus in Kozhikode district of the state.

Responding to a query regarding the Nipah infection in the assembly, State Health Minister Veena George said that the virus strain seen in Kerala was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious.

Ms George further said that besides the teams from NIV, Pune, a group of epidemiologists would reach Kerala today from Chennai to carry out a survey.

She said that surveillance, contact tracing, categorising them into low and high risk, setting up isolation facilities for them, demarcating containment zones, and procuring medicines from ICMR for those infected, were some of the numerous steps taken by the Health Department to prevent the spread of the brain-damaging virus.

Seven village panchayats in Kerala's Kozhikode district have been declared as containment zones.
Soon after the Nipah virus infection was confirmed in Kozhikode district on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had urged people not to panic and to take precautions instead.

"Everyone should strictly follow the instructions of the health department and the police and fully cooperate with the restrictions," he had said. One of those infected with the virus was a nine-year-old boy.