Health Alert! Nipah Virus Gets Deadly

Here’s everything you need to know about the Nipah Virus, that has hit Kerala.

- Sneha Sureshkumar

The death of 14 people due to the Nipah Virus in the Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in Kerala has taken the nation by storm. The disease has now spread to Karnataka, taking the toll up to 17. We spoke to Dr Amit A Saraf, consultant physician, Jupiter Hospital, Mumbai, to know the root cause of this deadly virus, its prevention, treatment and more.

What is Nipah Virus? 

It’s a RNA (Ribo Nucleic Acid) virus of the Henipavirus family. Its symptoms are seen within 3-14 days of exposure to the virus. It was first seen in a Malaysian village Kampung Sungai Nipah. Hence, it is named Nipah Virus (NiV).

Causes: 

People get infected with the virus after coming in direct exposure to infected fruit bats and pigs.