India’s southern state of Kerala is currently facing an outbreak of the rare, but potentially serious Nipah virus with at least two deaths so far, according to local reports.
Health officials have closed schools and offices in Kerala and hundreds of residents are being tested.
Despite Nipah virus’s high fatality rate and no specific treatments available, experts said it’s very unlikely the virus will lead to a global emergency and that it’s a reminder of how habitat destruction has led to animals transmitting the disease to humans.
Here’s what you need to know about the virus, including signs and symptoms, how the virus is transmitted and what treatments are available.
What is Nipah virus?
Nipah virus is a type of zoonotic disease, meaning it’s primarily found in animals and can initially spread between animals and people. It was first discovered in 1999 after a disease affected both pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The virus is most often spread by fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, and it can spread through direct or indirect contact.
“People can become infected if they have close contact with an infected animal or body fluids such as, for example, the fruit bat saliva on a fruit, and then it flies off and then a person eats the fruit,” Dr. Diana Finkel, an associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious disease at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told ABC News.
The virus can also spread from person to person by being in close contact or coming into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.