The deadly virus India is racing to contain as five cases and 700 contacts identified
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Experts in India’s southern state of Kerala have been asked to gather samples of fluids from bats and fruit trees in an area where the deadly Nipah virus has claimed the lives of two people, with three more testing positive. On Wednesday, a 24-year-old healthcare worker who had close contact with a Nipah patient tested positive for the virus, taking the total number of confirmed cases in Kerala to five. Infected people initially develop symptoms that include fever, respiratory distress, headaches, and vomiting, according to the World Health Organization. According to the World Health Organization, the Nipah virus was also recognised in Bangladesh in 2001, and nearly annual outbreaks have occurred in the country since.