Officials in India are battling to keep another virus at bay after it claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy.
India's southern Kerala state has seen a recent outbreak of the Nipah virus – that can be transmitted from human to human or via infected animals – with more infections confirmed over the weekend.
Following the death of the boy, Indian authorities ramped up efforts to trace all those who came into contact with him, with 188 people identified so far.
About 20 of those are considered high-risk because they are family members and are now under strict quarantine or in hospital.
Two healthcare workers who took care of the boy are now showing symptoms of Nipah, while Indian authorities have sealed off a two-miles radius around the boy's home.
The case of Nipah in Kerala come as India battles a surge in COVID cases with 43,263 more in the 24 hours up to Wednesday,
In Kerala alone, there were 30,196 new COVID cases in the same period, while deaths from COVID in the country increased by 338.
The Nipah virus – which was first discovered in 1999 in Malaysia – provokes symptoms including a fever and headache that can last anywhere between three days and two weeks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
At least 50 people, including more than 30 children, have died from dengue and other fevers in India's northern Firozabad district.That's according to doctors on September 3, who say the area is facing an outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases among the youth - as well as cases of viral fever. Additional beds were set up in kitchens and storage rooms at the Autonomous State Medical College, needed to accommodate the rising number of patients.Dengue fever, also known as break bone, can cause intense pain in muscles and joints.It's spread by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which thrives in mega-cities of the tropics.Most sufferers survive, but the virus is estimated to kill about 20,000 people every year - many of whom are children.
They say that infected people will also develop symptoms including fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and a sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis.
The WHO says Nipah is less transmissible that COVID, but estimates the case fatality rate to be between 40% and 75% – compared to about 2% for COVID. There are currently no drugs or vaccines specific for Nipah, the WHO added.
