The Union Health Ministry has confirmed that two deaths related to fever at a private hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala, were caused by the Nipah virus.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya mentioned that an expert team has been dispatched to Kerala to assist in managing the Nipah virus situation and that guidelines have been provided by the Health Ministry to take precautions against this virus, which is transmitted by bats.

The Kerala government sent five samples to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for Nipah virus testing, with results pending for three of them.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan issued an alert in Kozhikode district due to suspicion of Nipah virus but reassured the public that most close contacts of the deceased are receiving treatment.

The two individuals who succumbed to the virus, aged 40 and 49, were from Maruthonkara and Thiruvallor regions, and their deaths occurred on August 30 and Monday, respectively. A nine-year-old boy related to one of the deceased is in critical condition, and other relatives are also hospitalized.

Kerala has set up a control room and formed committees to coordinate precautionary measures and ensure hospitals and health workers follow infection control protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The state health minister, Veena George, advised the public to wear masks in public spaces to prevent further spread and initiated contact tracing for high-risk contacts.

In 2018, Kerala experienced a Nipah virus outbreak, which was the first in South India, affecting Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, resulting in 17 fatalities and the observation of over 2,000 individuals. Prior Nipah virus outbreaks occurred in India in 2001 and 2007 in West Bengal.