India alert after boy dies from Nipah virus in Kerala

India, July 22 (BBC) - Health authorities in India's Kerala state have issued an alert after a 14-year-old boy died of the Nipah virus.

According to the state's health minister, an additional 60 people have been identified as being in the high-risk category of having the disease.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the boy was from the town of Pandikkad and that those who came into contact with him have been isolated and tested.

People in the area have been asked to take precautions such as wearing masks in public areas and refraining from visiting people in hospital.

The Nipah virus infection is a "zoonotic illness" transmitted from animals like pigs and fruit bats to humans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

It can also be transmitted through contaminated food and through contact with an infected person.

The WHO has described the virus as a priority pathogen because of its potential to trigger an epidemic.

The virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in Kerala state since it was first reported there in 2018.

The 14-year-old died on Sunday, just a day after he was confirmed to have the virus, according to Indian media reports.

Parts of Kerala are said to be the most at-risk globally for the virus. An investigation published by Reuters last year found that Kerala, which is a tropical state and is witnessing rapid urbanisation and rapid tree loss, created "ideal conditions for a virus like Nipah to emerge".

Experts say that due to habitat loss, animals are living in closer proximity to humans and this helps the virus jump from animals to humans.

The state government recently announced that it was creating an action plan to prevent a Nipah outbreak.

Last year, authorities in Kerala state closed schools and offices after confirming five cases.