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Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala leaves at least nine dead, Centre rushes team

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Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala leaves at least nine dead, Centre rushes team

At least nine people have died in Kerala’s Kozhikode district due to Nipah virus, an infection with high fatality rate that spreads mainly through bats, pigs and other animals, or contact with an infected person.

Unconfirmed reports in media, however, put the death toll at 12.

There is no cure – either vaccine or medicine – for the disease and only form of treatment is supportive medicines and palliative care.

Lini, a nurse who attended to the two men who died, was herself hospitalised for a week before she died Monday morning. Her body was cremated at the electric crematorium immediately triggering strong protests from her relatives because it was not handed over to them.

The body of another person who died, Velauthan (64), was also cremated in the electric crematorium to prevent the disease from spreading. Agitated heath workers complained that they have not been given enough precautionary gadgets to contain the infection.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda tweeted on Sunday that he had asked the chief of the central disease control body to visit the affected district and take steps. A high-level team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) arrived in Kerala’s Kozhikode on Monday.

“We have confirmed nine deaths. Out of these only three are Nipah positive. We have sent samples of other deceased to the National Virology Institute in Pune. We can ascertain the exact cause of death only after obtaining results,” said State Health Secretary Rajeev Sadananndan, according to a report in The Hindustan Times (HT).

Two of the deaths on Monday took place in the Kozhikode Medical College and two others died at the taluk hospital.

The Union Health Ministry has rushed a team of experts to assist the state.”A team from the Indian Council of Medical Research is arriving in Kozhikode on Monday. We are trying our best to contain the spread of virus and we sought help from all,” HT quoted Kerala health secretary Sadanandan as saying.

The confirmation of Nipah virus came on Sunday night, with Kerala’s Health Director RL Saritha announcing, “The National Virology Institute in Pune has confirmed that the dead were infected with Nipah virus,” reported HT.

At least 12 people are admitted in various hospitals and 20 others are under observation. Many families who were staying closer to the affected dwellings have been evacuated to safer places and domestic animals are also under observation, a senior health official said. The state health department has decided to set up isolation wards in government and private hospitals to contain the deadly virus.

The outbreak started with the death of three members of a family in Perambra in a span of two weeks. At least four others of the family are admitted in the hospital with same symptoms. Local people said they had informed the authorities after the death of some domesticated animals but their complaints were ignored.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) India reported two outbreaks of Nipah virus encephalitis in West Bengal, bordering Bangladesh, in 2001 and 2007. Seventy one cases with 50 deaths (70% of the cases) were reported in two outbreaks.

The first identification of Nipah virus as a cause of an outbreak of encephalitis was reported in 2001 in Meherpur district of Bangladesh. The WHO says Nipah virus (NiV) encephalitis is an emerging infectious disease of public health importance in the South-East Asia Region.

The incubation period for the virus ranges from 5 to 14 days. Symptoms become visible after this period and include fever, head ache, fainting and nausea.  In some cases, symptoms like choking, stomach pain, vomiting, fatigue and blurred vision could also be there.

The patient can possibly go into a coma just two days after the symptoms begin.

The chance of contracting encephalitis that affects the brain is also high.

Precautions include avoiding food that could have been contaminated by bats by biting it or dropping faeces on it.

Toddy that is brewed in open containers near palm trees should be avoided.

In case a person is infected, it is important to maintain a distance from the patient person and to sanitise and wash hands thoroughly.

Clothes, utensils and items typically used in the toilet or bathroom, like buckets and mugs, should be cleaned separately and maintained hygienically.

Is important to cover one’s face while transporting the dead body of anyone who dies after contracting Nipah fever and should take utmost care while bathing the body before cremation or burial, reported NewsMinute.

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Suvendu Adhikari after Bengal win says Akhilesh Yadav is next

Suvendu Adhikari says Akhilesh Yadav is next after BJP’s Bengal win, shifts focus to Uttar Pradesh elections 2027.

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Suvendu-Adhikari

Following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s sweeping victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026, senior leader Suvendu Adhikari made a strong political statement, indicating that the party’s next focus will be the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2027.

Riding on the momentum of the party’s performance in Bengal, Adhikari said that several opposition leaders have already lost political ground and added that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav would be “next” in line.

The BJP leader, who secured key victories in constituencies such as Bhabanipur and Nandigram, also claimed that the defeat of the ruling Trinamool Congress marked the beginning of a political decline for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He asserted that her “political exile has started,” referring to her electoral losses in recent contests.

Adhikari further criticised the Trinamool Congress, comparing it with other opposition parties and alleging that it lacked ideology and was driven by family-based politics. He also suggested that several leaders and workers from the TMC could shift allegiance to the BJP in the coming period.

The BJP’s strong showing in West Bengal marks a major political shift in the state, where the party has managed to significantly expand its footprint. Political observers say the latest remarks underline the party’s intent to carry its electoral momentum into upcoming state elections, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, which is expected to be a key battleground in 2027.

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PM Modi thanks voters of West Bengal, hails Syama Prasad Mookerjee dream

PM Narendra Modi welcomes BJP crossing majority in West Bengal, calling it a historic mandate by the people.

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PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi credited the BJP’s victory in the elections to the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 to the people of the state and each and every party worker who has suffered in promoting the party and disseminating its message over the last 30-odd years. He thanked the people of Assam for re-electing the party.

Addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters, Modi invoked Jana Sangh found Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who worked for the purpose of a united Bengal, and Sri Aurobindo and said their spirits will be at peace at last. Paying paeans to the vision of Tagore, he recounted that the Nobel laureate had wished for a country where one can hold one’s head high without fear.
The PM said the people of Bengal have chosen the governance model of the party. He promised jobs for the youth, increased safety for women. He said the first cabinet meeting will implement Ayushman Bharat in the state. In the same breath, he promised to act against infiltrators decisively.
Pointing to the violence-less election this time, he said not one citizen has been hurt or killed while it many have died in previous polls.
He appealed to the workers of other parties to end the cycle of violence that had plagued the state for all this time and instead serve Bengal and its people.
The problems posed by the war in Iran found place in the PM’s speech. He noted that the whole country is at a disadvantage but people are soldiering on to achieve Viksit Bharat.
Referring to the importance of nari shakti in the development of India, he took potshots at the Congress and other opposition parties for opposing the women’s reservation bill. Modi reminded the audience that he had warned the Congress, Trinamool Congress and DMK for opposing it and they have been taught a lesson. Referring to Kerala, he said the BJP will see gains in the future. He mocked the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for not having any government left in the country after the loss of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala.
Attacking the Congress, he said it has become the hub of urban naxals and said the people have thrown out communist thought in the country. The Congress has no understanding of the aspirations of the people. The BJP will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala as well, he said.

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BJP crosses majority in West Bengal, PM Narendra Modi says lotus blooms in first reaction

PM Modi hails BJP’s majority in West Bengal, calling it a historic mandate and thanking voters across the state.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strong performance in the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026, saying the “lotus has bloomed” in the state as the party crossed the majority mark in early results.

In a post on X, Modi thanked the people of West Bengal and described the outcome as a reflection of public trust. He said he bows to every voter for their support, adding that the mandate reflects faith in governance and development-focused politics.

The BJP’s surge in the 294-seat assembly marks a significant political shift in the state, where the party has not previously formed a government. The results indicate a major challenge to the long-standing dominance of the Trinamool Congress.

The election is part of a broader round of state polls across India, where the BJP has shown strong momentum. The party’s performance in West Bengal is being seen as one of the most significant developments in this election cycle.

With counting trends favouring the BJP, focus now turns to final results and the formation of the new government in the state.

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