Nipah virus claims 10 lives in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala

Kozhikode, May 22

The Nipah virus has so far claimed 10 lives in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in north Kerala while the condition of two people undergoing treatment for the viral disease is said to be critical, Health Minister KK Shylaja said on Tuesday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been informed about the outbreak of the virus in Kerala, she told reporters here.

Two people, Rajan and Ashokan, who were undergoing treatment at Kozhikode and died on Tuesday morning, had been confirmed to have contracted the virus, she said.

A nursing assistant, Lini, who died on Monday, had also contracted the virus, she added.

Of the 18 samples sent for testing, 12 have tested positive for the virus, of which 10 people have died.

Two deaths reported on May 20 from Malappuram--Sindhu and Sijitha--have tested positive for Nipah virus.

The two had come to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for treatment and had been in touch with one of the infected persons who had died of the virus, the minister said.

No fresh case had been reported so far, she said, adding that the WHO has been informed.

Shyalaja said Union Health Minister JP Nadda, who is in Geneva, had called her and enquired about the situation in the state and had promised all help from the Centre.

An expert team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), including its director, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh, and Head of Epidemiology, Dr SK Jain, are already in Kerala.

A high-level team from AIIMS had also reached the state, she said. PTI