Kozhikode, May 22: The Nipah virus continues to make inroads in Kerela and the latest development regarding the march of the virus is the news of three nurses falling ill, one of whom have died. The three nurses from the EMS Memorial Cooperative hospital at Perambra were taken ill after they attended to Nipah Virus affected patients. As far as the nurses having contracted the disease is concerned, there is no clarity on it so far.

One of the nurses at the same hospital, Lini Puthusshery had treated three infected persons, was taken ill a few days ago and was under observation and treatment. She succumbed to her illness on Monday morning around 2 am. Her body, after consulting with the family, was cremated at an electronic crematorium by the authorities, so as to avoid the spreading of any virus if present in the body of the deceased nurse.

Other hospital employees are worried and anxious about the developments and are taken aback by the falling ill of the three nurses.

What is Nipah Virus?

Nipah virus infection gets its name from the village in Malaysia where the person from whom the virus was first isolated succumbed to the disease. The organism which Nipah virus encephalitis is an RNA or ribonucleic acid virus of the family paramyxoviridae genus Henipavirus and is closely related to Hendra virus.

Meanwhile, The Union Health Ministry has sent a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Kerala's Kozhikode district to probe the rising number of cases and reported deaths due to the Nipah virus.

The high-level team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been asked to assist the Kerala government and closely monitor the situation.

"We are closely monitoring the situation. I have spoken to Tourism Minister K J Alphons and Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja , and assured them all support of the central government. I have also dispatched a central team to assist the state government and initiate required steps," Union Health Minister J P Nadda said in a statement from Geneva. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 22, 2018 12:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).