Healthcare experts are concerned about the double blow that Kerala is facing. As the state continues to log high Covid-19 numbers, the Nipah virus claimed several lives and many others are under observation. Experts said it is time for Mumbai and Maharashtra, to be alert, especially during the festive season.

Dr Wiqar Shaikh, professor of Medicine, Grant Medical College and Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals said that the Nipah Virus (NiV) was first discovered in 1999 following an outbreak of the disease in pigs and human beings in Malaysia and Singapore, resulting in 300 human cases and more than 100 deaths. At least 1 million pigs were then killed to help control the outbreak. Since then, NiV outbreaks have been recorded annually in Bangladesh and India. The first case of NiV was detected in Siliguri in 2001, when 45 people died due to the outbreak.