Kozhikode (Kerala), February 7 Kerala Minister Veena George visited a healthcare worker who had twice survived Nipah virus infection.
George visited Tito, a nurse who contracted the virus while caring for a Nipah patient in 2023, along with his parents at their home in Kozhikode, according to a statement from her office.
After recovering from the initial infection, Tito developed a rare complication called delayed encephalitis, a severe form of the disease, the statement added.
Referring to Tito's contribution during the Nipah outbreak, the minister said he provided crucial information that helped prepare the contact list in 2023.
"It is because of such information that we have been able to bring the mortality rate to the lowest level in history," she said.
The minister further noted that Tito was now recovering from a very difficult situation. She added that his second infection was extremely rare and not contagious.
George wished Tito a full and speedy recovery, the statement said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans from animals, and can also spread through contaminated food or direct human-to-human contact.
