NPR

Why The World Should Be More Than A Bit Worried About India's Nipah Virus Outbreak

A case of the virus, which claimed a 12-year-old boy's life, has sparked fears of a new outbreak in India. Researchers fear that the deadly disease has the potential to cause global outbreaks as well.
A road blockade set up during the Nipah virus outbreak in India this month.

In 2018, we reported how the South Indian state of Kerala beat back the deadly Nipah virus. Local filmmakers and musicians even made a celebratory music video about it. Three years later, the state is faced with yet a new case of Nipah — its third outbreak since 2018 — and it couldn't have come at a worse time. Kerala, known for its palm-lined beaches on the Arabian Sea, is still reeling after a caseload of 4 million COVID infections since the pandemic began.

The Nipah virus is making news again after tragic reports that a 12-year-old boy died of the disease on Sept. 5, in Kerala's Kozhikode district. He had been admitted to a private hospital after running a high fever and showing symptoms of encephalitis — swelling of the brain.

While figuring out how to prevent

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