Five dead in India from Nipah virus, dozens quarantined

Deadly virus carried by fruit bat leads to more than 90 quarantined in Southern India


Afp May 22, 2018
Fruitbats natural hosts for Nipah virus PHOTO: REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

NEW DELHI, INDIA: A deadly virus carried by fruit bats has killed at least five people in southern India and more than 90 people are in quarantine, a top health official said Tuesday, AFP reported.

Malaria infecting 7,000 children annually in province

"We can confirm that five people have died from the Nipah virus," Kerala state health surveillance officer KJ Reena told AFP. The death toll has risen from three overnight.

‘Nine out of 10 adults living to 80 will develop disease’

"We traced 94 people who had come in contact with the ones who died and they have been quarantined as a precaution," Reena added.
Nipah has a mortality rate of 70%, according to the World Health Organisation and there is no vaccination.

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