Major outbreak: All you need to know about Nipah virus

While the death toll caused by Nipah virus in north Kerala seems to be increasing, here are the basic things that you must know about the virus:

Transmission:

As the viruses is capable of infecting animals, transmission takes place through direct contact with infected bats, pigs, or from other NiV-infected people. People have been also advised not to consume fruits that have fallen on the ground.

Symptoms:

NiV infection has a range of symptoms in humans from infection to acute respiratory syndrome and fatal encephalitis (swelling in the brain).

Treatment:

No vaccine has been found yet for either humans or animals. The treatment for human cases is intensive supportive care in hospitals by doctors.