Health authorities in the Indian state of Kerala are on high alert after a new case of the deadly Nipah virus was confirmed in Palakkad district on July 12, 2025. The patient, a 52-year-old man, is the fourth person this year to contract the virus, and two people have already died from similar infections.
What makes this situation more worrying is that all cases have occurred within a 50-kilometer area between Palakkad and Malappuram, suggesting the virus may be more active in this region than previously thought.
The Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly dangerous virus that spreads from animals to humans what scientists call a zoonotic virus. It can also spread from person to person in rare cases.
The virus was first discovered in Malaysia in 1998, and since then, outbreaks have occurred in Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines.
It can be deadly between 40% and 75% of people infected with Nipah may die, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The natural carriers of the virus are fruit bats, which often don’t get sick themselves but can pass it to humans through contaminated fruit, urine, saliva, or even droppings.
In Bangladesh, people have caught the virus by drinking raw date palm sap contaminated by bats. In Malaysia, it spread through infected pigs. In Kerala, however, experts are still trying to figure out the exact route of infection.
“We don’t have a clear answer,” says Dr. Anish, a lead health officer at Kerala’s Nipah Research Centre. “People might unknowingly come into contact with infected bat droppings or saliva on fruits. But even that’s not fully proven.”
Some scientists now believe airborne transmission could be a possibility—meaning the virus might spread through the air in certain conditions.
Nipah virus can cause very serious illness. Early symptoms include, Fever, Headache, Vomiting and Cough
But the virus can quickly affect the brain, causing, Seizures, Confusion, Encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and Loss of consciousness.
In severe cases, it can damage the lungs and cause acute respiratory distress, making it hard to breathe.
The virus usually takes 4 to 14 days to show symptoms after infection.
Despite the risks, Kerala’s health system has so far managed to contain the virus effectively. Since the state’s first outbreak in 2018, Kerala has faced 10 separate spillover incidents, but only two have led to wider outbreaks.
This success is thanks to, Quick tracing and isolation of anyone in contact with a patient, early treatment with antiviral drugs like Ribavirin and Remdesivir, Advanced labs capable of running rapid RT-PCR tests and a strong public health system that has made Nipah a priority disease
According to officials, 675 people are currently under observation across five districts, but no new human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far this year.
Experts say there may be a high number of infected bats in this region of Kerala, possibly due to changes in the climate or habitat loss that are pushing bats closer to humans.
“Four separate spillovers in just a couple of months and in the same small area it’s not a coincidence,” says Dr. Anish. “It means the virus is present and active in local bat populations.”
Right now, there is no specific cure or vaccine for the Nipah virus. However, scientists are making progress. A vaccine developed at the University of Oxford began human trials in early 2025 and has been fast-tracked by European health authorities.
For now, doctors rely on broad-spectrum antivirals and monoclonal antibodies (lab-made proteins that help fight the virus) to reduce the severity of symptoms and save lives.
The best way to protect against Nipah is to avoid contact with fruit bats and stay away from raw or partially eaten fruits. Do not drink raw palm sap or any unclean water near bat habitats.
Health officials also stress the need for the “One Health” approach, which means treating human, animal, and environmental health as connected.
“Most new viruses come from animals,” says Dr. Anish. “To stop future outbreaks, we must care for both the environment and public health together.”
Kerala’s recent Nipah cases are a wake-up call, not just for India, but for the world. As humans continue to encroach on forests and disrupt ecosystems, we create more opportunities for viruses like Nipah to jump from animals to people.
With the right investment in science, public health, and environmental protection, future outbreaks can be stopped but only if action is taken now.
