Health authorities in India’s Kerala state have issued an alert after a 14-year-old boy died from the Nipah virus.
According to the state’s health minister, an additional 60 people have been identified as high-risk contacts for the disease.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George stated that the boy was from the town of Pandikkad and that those who had contact with him have been isolated and tested.
People in the area have been advised to take precautions such as wearing masks in public and avoiding hospital visits.
The Nipah virus infection is a “zoonotic illness” transmitted from animals like pigs and fruit bats to humans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
It can also be spread through contaminated food and contact with an infected person.
The WHO has classified the virus as a priority pathogen due to its potential to cause an epidemic.
Since it was first reported in Kerala in 2018, the virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in the state.
The 14-year-old boy died on Sunday, just a day after his infection was confirmed, according to Indian media reports.
Certain parts of Kerala are considered among the most at-risk globally for the virus. An investigation published by Reuters last year found that the state’s tropical climate, rapid urbanization, and significant tree loss create “ideal conditions for a virus like Nipah to emerge.”
Experts indicate that habitat loss is causing animals to live in closer proximity to humans, facilitating the transmission of the virus from animals to humans.
In response, the state government recently announced the development of an action plan to prevent a Nipah outbreak.
Last year, Kerala authorities closed schools and offices after confirming five cases.