India is on notice as a youngster dies from the Nipah virus

Here are some key facts about the recent Nipah virus alert in India:

- Health authorities in India's Kerala state have issued an alert after a 14-year-old boy died of the Nipah virus.
- The boy was from the town of Pandikkad, and those who came into contact with him have been isolated and tested.
- An additional 60 people have been identified as being in the high-risk category of having the disease.
- People in the area have been asked to take precautions such as wearing masks in public areas and refraining from visiting people in hospital.
- The Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness transmitted from animals like pigs and fruit bats to humans.
- The virus can also be transmitted through contaminated food and contact with an infected person.
- The WHO has described the virus as a priority pathogen because of its potential to trigger an epidemic.
- The virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in Kerala state since it was first reported there in 2018.

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