NEW DELHI: Another patient has died in India from the Nipah virus, taking the number of fatalities from an outbreak of the rare disease to 13, authorities said on Sunday.

Officials in Kerala said that in addition to the latest fatality two patients have tested positive for the virus spread by fruit bats, which induces flu-like symptoms that lead to agonising encephalitis and coma.

Emergency measures have been imposed across Kerala to curb the spread of the virus, with dozens of patients quarantined since the outbreak was detected this month.

Health experts have been flown to Kerala to help contain the virus, which has a mortality rate of 70 per cent and no vaccine.

“One man died today from Nipah virus, taking the overall death toll to 13,” Sarita R.L., director of Kerala’s health services, said. “There are two other confirmed Nipah patients undergoing treatment.”

Nipah has killed more than 260 people in Malaysia, Bangladesh and India since 1998.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2018