Kochi, June 4: Amid the Nipah virus scare in Kerala, state Health Minister KK Shailaja on Tuesday said that the virus is not confirmed yet and assured that the government is fully equipped to deal with the situation. The scare of the deadly brain-damaging Nipah virus has caused havoc in the southern state. While speaking at a press meet, Shailaja said 86 people across the state are under surveillance and result from Pune Virology Institute are awaited. In case of adversities, special isolation ward set up at Ernakulam Medical College in Kochi. What is Nipah Virus? How it Spreads, Symptoms & Preventive Measures.

In the wake of the scare of the deadly virus, a high-level meeting was held in Kochi on Monday. During the meet, Shailaja said a college student is suspected to have been infected with the Nipah virus, but a final confirmation is awaited from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. “Only after we get the report from the institute can it be confirmed if the patient is infected by the virus or not", she added.

The virus can be transferred from animals to humans. The symptoms include fever and cold-like symptoms in patients before quickly advancing to encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, and myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart. There is no vaccine or cure for Nipah infections at present. In May 2018, the Nipah (NiV) virus attack took away 17 lives, with 22 positive cases reported from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts that created a huge scare. . Fact or Hoax: Will Eating Chicken or Fruits Cause Nipah Virus Infection?

On Monday, a report by Hindustan Times quoted Kerala health minister KK Shailaja saying that the initial tests showed the one person infected, was positive to Nipah. To curb the spread of the deadly virus, the Centre is expected to rush a team of experts team to Kerala to take a stock of the situations

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2019 09:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).