Why the inability to identify the Nipah virus sources is a concern in Kerala
Hindustan TimesKerala is on high alert after a 14-year-old boy in the Malappuram district was diagnosed with Nipah virus infection on Sunday. While initiating preventive protocols and steps to contain the virus in the reported area itself, health department officials are said to have zeroed in on a potential cause for the re-emergence of the Nipah virus. Some local doctors cite a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research, which found Nipah virus antibodies in bats from Kozhikode and Wayanad, which have not yet reported Nipah outbreaks. Malaria, amoebic meningoencephalitis, and now Nipah — Kerala has of late been witnessing outbreaks of several zoonotic diseases despite its long legacy of maintaining a quality public health system. Rajeev Jayadevan, chairman of the state IMA research cell, mentioned that the Nipah virus is known to circulate naturally in fruit bats.