An outbreak of a brain-destroying virus is currently happening in the Kerala state of India. The number of people who have died from Nipah is relatively small. Officials from India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement to the press that this is not a “major outbreak” and is only a “local occurrence.” They cannot confirm the origin of the outbreak. But they can confirm that it is spreading between humans. So far, the Nipah virus has killed more than a dozen people. The victims include a 31-year old nurse in Kerala. Lini Puthussery was part of a team treating the first Nipah patients. She was also a wife and the mother of two young children. Her body was cremated quickly so the infection would not spread. Health officials are most concerned about the high mortality rate of the disease.
