Indian state on alert after deadly Nipah virus outbreak

India has curbed public gatherings and closed some schools in the Southern state of Kerala to contain a rare outbreak of Nipah. Nipah is a virus spread from animals to humans that causes deadly fever with a high mortality rate.

The first Nipah outbreak was recorded in 1998 after the virus spread among pig farmers in Malaysia. Nipah usually spreads to humans from animals or through contaminated food, but it can also be transmitted directly between people. Symptoms include intense fever, vomiting and a respiratory infection, but severe cases can involve seizures and brain inflammation that results in a coma. There is no vaccine for Nipah.