Why has Nipah Virus resurfaced in Kerala?

Nipah virus resurfaced in Kerala, when 2 deaths were reported in Kozhikode district on 12th September 2023. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya has confirmed these unnatural deaths and contact-tracing of the deceased is underway to prevent an outbreak through high-risk contacts. So far, five suspected samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune to confirm the presence of the virus. They belong to the 49-year-old deceased man’s four relatives, all of whom have been hospitalised. The state government set up a control room in Kozhikode on September 12 to control the emergency, after a district-wide health alert was issued on September 11. The Nipah strain this time around is the Bangladesh variant which spreads wly, but, however, has a high mortality rate. Around 700 people came into contact with the patients and 76 of them are high risk. The high-risk Nipah patients have been asked to not leave their homes. The routes of the two deceased Nipah pa