Efforts on to contain Nipah outbreak: Kerala Minister

12 JUNE 2026

The Health Department in Kerala is maintaining maximum vigilance and taking all possible preventive measures to ensure that the current Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode is contained and that no nosocomial or human-to-human transmission of the virus occurs.
Nosocomial is a medical term referring to a disease or infection acquired in a hospital or other healthcare facility.
Nipah virus is a highly fatal zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans and also through human-to-human transmission.
India has experienced several Nipah outbreaks since 2001, with most recent cases being reported from Kerala.
Fruit bats of the genus Pteropus are the natural reservoirs and carriers of the Nipah virus.
Humans can become infected through direct contact with infected bats, pigs, or their bodily fluids like blood, saliva and urine.
The virus can spread from one person to another through close contact with infected individuals and their secretions.
Consumption of food contaminated by infected bats can lead to Nipah virus infection.

Symptoms of the Disease:

Nipah infection can cause fever, headache, respiratory illness, and severe brain inflammation.
Severe cases of Nipah virus infection may result in coma and death.

Treatment:

There is currently no specific approved treatment for Nipah virus infection, and patients mainly receive supportive care.
Scientists are conducting research to develop safe and effective vaccines against Nipah virus.