India's Nipah virus cases reach 6

By Anadolu staff

NEW DELHI (AA) - The confirmed cases of Nipah virus in Indian southern state of Kerala stood at six as of Friday, with two individuals succumbing to the virus, said an official.

"Current evidence indicates that the outbreak is limited to the Kozhikode district of Kerala," Rajiv Bahl, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, told a press conference in New Delhi.

India this week confirmed that two deaths have taken place due to the Nipah virus in Kerala state, which has been witnessing the virus outbreak since 2018.

Authorities have conducted screenings for several hundred people, including health workers, and temporarily closed schools in the affected district.

Noting that the Nipah virus has an "extremely" high mortality rate of 40-70%, as compared to COVID-19 which was at 2% to 3%, the top official also said in 2018, a total of 18 lab-confirmed cases were reported and the outbreak was contained within a month.

The state health authorities have also implemented necessary protocols and are actively working to contain and prevent further spread of the virus.

Bahl also said India is procuring 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia, which is used in the treatment of the disease.

Nipah is a viral infection which causes disease in both animals and humans. It can cause serious disease if a person comes in contact with affected animals, according to the World Health Organization.