FILE PHOTO: A patient, who according to medics is suffering from Nipah infection, is shifted to an ICU of Nipah isolation ward in Kozhikode Medical College in Kozhikode district in the southern state of Kerala, India, July 20, 2024. REUTERS/CK Thanseer/File Photo
KOCHI, India (Reuters) - A 24-year-old student has died from the Nipah virus in the southern Indian state of Kerala, a local medical official said on Monday, and 151 people who came into contact with the victim are under observation to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
This is the second death caused by Nipah in Kerala since July. Nipah is classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its potential to trigger an epidemic. There is no vaccine to prevent infection and no treatment to cure it.