Nipah virus in Kerala: Advisory for tourists travelling to the state | Travel guidelines

Nipah is a zoonotic virus — meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans — which can cause a severe respiratory infection and attack the brain, according to the World Health Organization.

The number of Nipah cases in Kerala's Kozhikode district has gone up to five after a health worker tested positive for the brain-damaging infection. The source of the virus remains unknown. Kozhikode is at present under a Covid-like lockdown. The virus has claimed two lives so far.

Kerala has scaled up control measures to avoid a spread. A state-level control room has been opened, and nine panchayats of the Kozhikode district have been declared as containment zones. Over 800 people are under observation after they figured in the contact lists of the infected.

The state has also issued guidelines for tourists.

--- Masks are back. The state has made it mandatory for tourists wear masks at all public places

-- Kozhikode containtment zones are out of bounds for travellers.

-- No curbs on tourist spots outside containment zones

-- The Champion's Boat League race on Chaliyar River, which was scheduled for September 24 has reportedly been postponed

-- Many programmes have also been rescheduled due to the outbreak

--- States bordering Kerala have put up stringent checks for those with possible symptoms

This is the peak tourist season for the state. The state's hospitality business is worried about potential cancellation of reservations as cases begin to swell.