The Indian state of Kerala has reported six cases of the Nipah virus, two of whom have died. Health officials have shut down offices, schools, and some public transport networks as a result of the outbreak. State authorities were first alerted to the outbreak after one death attributed to the Nipah Virus was reported in late August, and then a second death on September 11th.
According to the Kerala Health Department, more than 1,100 people have been placed in quarantine. 120 of those in quarantine have been tested and determined to be negative, leaving 980 undetermined.
According to the World Health Organization, the virus has an incubation period of 4-14 days, though incubation periods of up to 45 days have been recorded. Its symptoms are mostly flu-like, which includes fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing, and vomiting.
The more severe symptoms include seizures, coma, and encephalitis (brain swelling). Depending on the strain, Nipah virus can have a 40-75% fatality rate.
According to the CDC, Nipah virus is unable to transmit to other people as easily as COVID-19. The only current means of transmission is through eating contaminated foods or being in contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.
