The World Health Organization issued an emergency alert Tuesday over the spread of Nipah virus throughout India.
Thousands of people in the Indian state of Kerala have potentially been exposed to the deadly Nipah virus, after at least six laboratory-confirmed cases were identified in September, WHO wrote in an alert. At least two of the people who contracted the virus have died, and more than 1,200 people are currently in quarantine.
Nipah is an infection that typically spreads from animals like bats and pigs to humans who have had direct contact with infected animals or humans. The infection spreads through saliva, urine and excreta.
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Severe symptoms are common, including an acute respiratory infection and often-fatal encephalitis. Previous outbreaks in Bangladesh, India, Singapore and Malaysia have ranged in fatality rates from 40 percent to 100 percent. There is no known cure, therapy or vaccine to treat Nipah at its root, but symptoms can be managed. (RELATED: ‘It’s Just A Matter Of Time’: Scientists Issue Warning As Deadly, Ebola-Like Virus Spreads)
A similar outbreak occurred in China in 2022, where the disease was called Langya virus. Both infections are related to the RNA virus in the family of paramyxoviridae, according to a study published in the journal Virulence.