At least 10 people in India have died from a rare virus known as Nipah virus, according to news reports. The deaths occurred in Kerala, a state in southern India, according to the BBC. Two other people have tested positive for the virus and are critically ill, and an additional 40 people have been put into quarantine after having contact with those who died, the BBC reported. Nipah virus infection is an emerging disease that was first identified in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus is thought to naturally infect fruit bats (of the genus Pteropus), but it can also infect pigs and other domesticated animals, as well as humans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus can also spread from person to person. [10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species] Nipah virus can cause an inflammation of the brain known as encephalitis, according to the CDC. Symptoms can include fever and headache, followed by drowsiness, disorientation and confusion. People who are infected with the virus may fall into a coma within 48 hours of showing symptoms, the CDC says. The virus can be highly lethal, with an average fatality rate of around 75 percent, according to the WHO. Human infections with Nipah virus in India and Bangladesh have been linked with eating raw date palm sap contaminated by fruit bats, and contact with bats, the CDC said. There's no drug to treat the illness and no vaccine to prevent it. "We are now concentrating on precautions to prevent the spread of the disease since the treatment is limited to supportive care," Rajeev Sadanandan, Kerala's health secretary, told the BBC today (May 21). Editor's note: This article was updated on May 22 at 12:30 pm ET with new information on the number of deaths tied to the outbreak. Original article on Live Science.<doc-sep>An outbreak of the Nipah virus is being blamed for the deaths of 10 people, including a nurse, in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Three of the victims have tested positive for the virus. The results of blood and bodily fluid tests taken from the other seven fatalities are currently being examined in Pune. An additional 25 people have been hospitalised after displaying symptoms of the infectious disease, with the health secretary, Rajeev Sadanandan, stating that the authorities are currently unable to determine the extent of its spread due to the virus having an incubation period of between four and 18 days. Recommended Foreign Office warns against travel to area of latest Ebola outbreak But what is the Nipah virus and how is it transmitted? The disease was first identified among pig farmers in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia, in 1998 and a year later in Singapore and thrives in tropical southern Asia and Australasia. That first epidemic saw 100 people die and 300 human cases diagnosed in total. More than a million infected pigs were slaughtered and Malaysia's pork trade duly suffered. It is transmitted to humans by animals and is most commonly carried by the fruit bat, which might infect via an intermediary. In Bangladesh in 2004, a number of people caught the disease after consuming date palm sap contaminated by infected flying-foxes. Mangoes bitten by the bats were found in a Kerala house where three of the most recent victims were found. Forty-five people died when further cases were found in Siliguri, West Bengal, in 2001 and another five died of Nipah in the same state in 2007. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital.<doc-sep>Health officials are working to treat those infected with a rare, brain-damaging virus in southern India. It is the first reported outbreak in the country. The first death happened May 18, said a state health minister in Kerala, the state at the epicentre of the outbreak blamed for the 12 deaths, including a nurse. "The Nipah virus disease is not a major outbreak and is only a local occurrence," the government said in a statement on Friday, adding that a team of experts continued to monitor the situation. Three victims, members of one family, are suspected to have been infected by bats that crowded a well near their home, a local government official said. "It's in the southern part of India, in Kerala, where it has never been seen before," said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital who treats tropical diseases. Much is unknown about Nipah virus and the details of this outbreak. Here are some answers. What is the virus? Nipah virus was discovered in humans in 1999 in Malaysia. It caused mild disease in pigs but the country experienced nearly 300 human cases and 100 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is named after the Malaysian village where it was first identified, the World Health Organization says. What happens when people are infected? Initial signs include fever, chills, muscle aches and pains. Ultimately, Bogoch said, the virus causes encephalitis, inflammation of the brain. People can have seizures and headaches. Severe inflammation can cause a coma. The death rate ranges from 40 per cent to 75 per cent, he said. Fortunately, it is rare. Many people who survive are left with continuing problems. "Those can include cognitive deficits, some people are left with a seizure disorder afterwards and there's been reports of hearing and vision changes," Bogoch said. Where does it come from? The virus naturally occurs in bats, and the animals are considered the main reservoir of the virus. How can people be exposed? Bats shed the virus in their saliva, urine, semen and feces, but they don't have symptoms of the virus. People who eat fruit that's been in contact with bat secretions can pick up the infection, Bogoch said. Nipah virus is highly contagious among pigs, and the animals have infected people. Swine spread it by coughing, and the virus may also be in their urine or feces. People who work closely with pigs may pick up the virus. Medical personnel wearing protective suits check patients at the Medical College hospital in Kozhikode on May 21. (AFP/Getty) Health-care providers or family members can also get it through close contact with an infected person, if they have not taken precautions such as avoiding the patient's secretions. Scientists still need to work out the details of exactly how Nipah and related viruses, the fruit bat host and their environment all interact. How is it treated? There is no specific treatment. Prevention is important to managing the illness. Is a vaccine available? There is no commercial vaccine for humans or animals. At the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg, researchers started studying the Nipah virus after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when there were concerns it could be used in bioterrorism. The goal of the research is to rapidly detect the virus in swine herds, develop diagnostic tests, understand how pigs respond to the disease and to assist in the development of vaccines, said Hana Weingartl, a research scientist and head of the special pathogens unit at the centre. The Nipah virus naturally occurs in bats. People who eat fruit that's been in contact with bat secretions can pick up the infection. (Biju Boro/AFP/Getty) "In a way it's work which is a little bit invisible because we don't have Nipah virus in Canada, so people are not aware about the danger," Weingartl said in an interview. "But internationally, it is important to be able to work with the virus and be prepared because the virus is changing, and similarly to influenza it is quite possible it can … obtain the ability to readily transmit from humans to humans." The lab has tested three candidate vaccines in animals, one intended for eventual use in humans and the others for veterinary use. "The vaccine is not an attractive proposition for companies," Weingartl said. Of the three, the first was excellent, she said, but the company decided not to follow up, and the second needs more work, which is being done in England and Australia. Weingartl and her team are testing the third. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global alliance of governments and non-profits, pledged $25 million US in collaboration with two pharmaceutical firms towards the development and manufacture of a vaccine against the Nipah virus. Given how emerging viruses like Nipah can show up unexplained, Weingartl said there's reason to be on guard. The Kerala outbreak "is definitely a concern," Weingartl said. "As a scientist, I would like to know how bad it is, what it is, what is the transmission route." "This is what we would term a neglected tropical infection," Bogoch said. A travel advisory hasn't been issued, and Bogoch said he doesn't think people should be concerned about travel to the area. Beaches in the tourist areas of Kerala are not as busy as normal, and travel agents there report cancellations.<doc-sep>Officials inspect a well to catch bats in Kozhikode district in India's Kerala state after the outbreak. (CNN) — The death toll from an outbreak of Nipah virus has risen to 10 in India’s southern state of Kerala. Nine patients that tested positive for the virus have been quarantined and are being treated, Rajeev Sadanandan, additional chief secretary for the state’s Department of Health and Family Welfare, told CNN on Tuesday. The outbreak began in the northern district of Kozhikode and has spread to neighboring Malappuram district, Sadanandan said. Symptoms of Nipah virus can begin with headache and drowsiness but quickly transform into a coma within a matter of days, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other symptoms include acute respiratory syndrome – where the lungs cannot get enough oxygen to the body – and fatal encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. There is no vaccine, and treatment is limited to supportive care. Among the dead was a nurse, identified as Lini, who was treating patients at Perambra Taluk Hospital in Kozhikode. In a tweet, the office of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan posted his condolences to her family, writing that the nurse’s “selfless service will be remembered.” CM condoled over the demise of Lini, the nurse who died of infection while taking care of Nipah virus affected patients. It is saddening to know that she lost her life while serving others. Her selfless service will be remembered. pic.twitter.com/RaE973xRJ2 — CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) May 22, 2018 The first cases were reported Saturday in a family from Kozhikode, and then India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the World Health Organization were contacted, Vijayan’s office said Monday via Twitter. Two brothers in their late 20s and their aunt, 50, died from the virus, while their father, 56, remains on life support. Statewide alert issued WHO said fruit bats were found in an unused well near the family’s house along with some rabbits being bred that had died recently. Nipah virus is known to infect both humans and animals, with certain species of fruit bat being natural hosts. People can become infected after contact with infected bats, or other animals, and humans. WHO added it was awaiting findings from experts to determine the source of infection and was in close contact with experts deployed to the affected areas to be “ready for any request for assistance.” A statewide alert has been issued to remain vigilant, and a 24-hour control room to monitor the situation has opened, Vijayan said. ’Dynamic situation’ A total of 60 samples have been tested for Nipah virus, which includes people who have already died as well as those who came into contact with patients confirmed to have the virus, Dr. Reena KJ, additional director of public health for Kerala, told CNN. That number is expected to rise, according to Sadanandan, the Kerala health official, who described it as a “dynamic situation.” Deaths in other districts where people had symptoms of the virus are also being tested. The state government has made assurances that the “health department is doing everything possible to save the lives of the infected and prevent the advance of virus,” the chief minister’s office tweeted Monday. CM Pinarayi Vijayan has informed that Government is closely monitoring the spread of the Nipah virus. Health department is doing everything possible to save the lives of the infected & prevent the advance of virus. — CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) May 21, 2018 A subsequent tweet urged private hospitals not to “deny treatment for anyone suffering from fever.” India’s health ministry has also deployed a response team to Kerala. JP Nadda, India’s minister of health and family welfare, said in a statement Monday that his department was “closely monitoring the situation” and had “dispatched a central team to assist the state government and initiate required steps.” About Nipah virus Nipah virus was first identified during a 1998-1999 outbreak in Malaysia, where almost 300 people were infected and more than 100 died, according to the CDC. More than 1 million pigs were euthanized to halt the spread of the illness. The virus was named after the village of Kampung Sungai Nipah, where pig farmers contracted the disease. There have been subsequent outbreaks in India and Bangladesh, with more than 600 reported human cases between 1998 and 2015, according to WHO. Many parts of Asia as well as Australia, Madagascar and Ghana are at risk of outbreaks. The virus is on WHO’s list of epidemic threats in need of urgent research and development. CNN’s Meera Senthilingam contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Ten people in the South Indian state of Kerala have died after being infected by the Nipah virus, an emerging disease thought to be spread by fruit bats and other animals. Here’s what you should know about the outbreak. What is the Nipah virus? The Nipah virus is a highly contagious and deadly virus that was first identified in 1999 when pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore became very sick. During that outbreak, nearly 300 people were infected, and more than 100 people died. To stop the outbreak, authorities had to euthanize over one million pigs. Since then, the virus has been identified in outbreaks in Bangladesh and India. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that outbreaks of Nipah virus now occur in Bangladesh almost every year, and there have been several outbreaks in India prior to the current one. The death rate from the Nipah virus is estimated to be about 75%. The virus is spread to humans who have direct contact with animals that are infected, like fruit bats or pigs. It can also spread between people, often between family and caregivers of people who are infected. What is happening in the current outbreak? The outbreak is taking place in Kerala, a southern state in India. So far, 10 deaths have been reported, and there are currently at least nine other people who have tested positive for the virus and are quarantined. Multiple people who came into contact with the sick individuals are also under surveillance. Experts speculate that the ongoing outbreak was initially spread by bats. What are the symptoms of Nipah? When a person is infected with the Nipah virus, they experience encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. It typically takes five to 14 days for symptoms of an infection to start to appear. These symptoms include fever and headaches that are followed by drowsiness and confusion. It’s then possible for the symptoms to progress to a coma. The CDC says long-term side effects among survivors can include convulsions and personality changes. How is the Nipah virus treated? There is no cure for the Nipah virus. Instead, people who are infected are treated with supportive care, which includes making sure the person stays hydrated, and treating any nausea or vomiting. People can take steps to prevent Nipah “by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in endemic areas and not drinking raw date palm sap,” which can be contaminated by excretions from infected bats, the CDC says. Contact us at letters@time.com.