Two more died of Nipah virus in Kerala's Kozhikode
Highlights
- Two more die of Nipah virus in Kerala's Kozhikode
- 15 people have died of Nipah virus since the disease was reported
- A soldier from Kerala died of suspected Nipah virus in Kolkata yesterday
Two more people have died in Kerala of Nipah virus, taking the total number of deaths to 15. Both the cases have been reported from Kozhikode.
The number of confirmed Nipah virus cases has risen to 17 with the National Institute of Virology, Pune, finding its presence in the blood sample of a 28-year-old person from Karassery, the sources said on Wednesday.
A soldier died on Monday in Kolkata of suspected Nipah virus. Seenu Prasad, was from Kerala and was posted at Fort William. He was admitted to hospital on 20 May, seven days after his return from a month's holiday in Kerala.
His samples have been sent to the National Institute of virology in Pune, which is the only agency in the country to certify whether it was a case of Nipah virus.
The deadly virus, which infects both humans and animals, spreads through contact. The infection in India is believed to have started in Kozhikode in Kerala, where dead bats were found in an unused well inside a home. Four members of the family that stayed there have died, including a man and his two sons.
The symptoms of the infection include fever, headache, drowsiness, breathing trouble, disorientation and delusions. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these symptoms can progress to coma within 24-48 hours.
Bats are believed to be the main carriers of the virus, for which there is no vaccine yet.