Thiruvananthapuram, May 31: The deadly Nipah Virus has killed one more person in Kerala, taking the total toll to 15. On Wednesday, in a similar fatal incident, a person identified as Madhusudhanan (55) of Nellikode in Kozhikode district died, after being succumbed to Nipah virus. All the fatalities have been reported from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala in the month of May.

On Wednesday, a 28-year-old soldier from Kerala, who was posted at Fort William, Kolkata died of suspected Nipah virus infection. According to reports, he was admitted to the command hospital on May 20, where he died five days later, a Defence spokesperson informed.

In wake of the rising concerns over the spread of the deadly Nipah virus, states have issued an advisory to people with the dos and don'ts as preventive measures. People have been advised to keep a distance from bats and pigs and have been advised not to consume fruits without washing them.

For the unversed, Nipah symptoms are not specific and include flu-like illness and hence can be confused with any respiratory illness. The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.

A Union Health Ministry advisory has said that the virus, which commonly affects animals such as bats, pigs, dogs, and horses, can spread to humans, causing serious illness. According to a report by PTI, the spread of the virus to humans may occur after close contact with other Nipah infected people, infected bats, or infected pigs.

The Nipah virus, spread by fruit bats can be fatal for both animals and humans. The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, drowsiness, respiratory illness, disorientation and mental confusion. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these signs and symptoms can progress to coma within 24-48 hours.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 31, 2018 08:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).