New Delhi:

Two deaths from the rare Nipah virus have been recorded in Kerala state in India, an official of the National Institute of Virology said on Tuesday.

One person died this month, while the second death occurred on August 30, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Two more people from the same family are also suspected to be infected and their samples have been sent for testing, the official said, adding that the Institute of Virology has sent its report to the federal health ministry.

The deadly brain-damaging Nipah virus, which spreads to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs or others, first affected pig farmers and others in close contact with pigs in 1999. was identified during an outbreak of the disease. Malaysia and Singapore.

There are no treatments or vaccines against this virus.

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Mass testing will begin in the area where the latest cases were found and some quarantine measures have been put in place.

This is the fourth Nipah outbreak in Kerala since 2018. The first and worst outbreak began with a 26-year-old man who went to hospital with fever and cough, which spread to family members and other patients before being diagnosed as Nipah.

Then out of 23 infected people, 21 had died. Nipah killed two more people in 2019 and 2021.

A reuters The investigation, published in May, identified parts of Kerala as one of the highest-risk locations globally for bat virus outbreaks. Extensive deforestation and urbanization have brought people and wildlife into closer contact.