Kolkata: Soldier dies of suspected Nipah virus infection
A soldier died on Monday in Kolkata of suspected Nipah virus, which has caused 13 deaths in Kerala.
Seenu Prasad, who hails from Kerala and posted at the Eastern Command headquarters Fort William, was admitted to the Command Hospital here on May 20 and passed away on May 25.
Prasad had been on a month's leave to Kerala before resuming duty on May 13.
His samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune which is the only agency in the country to certify whether it was a case of Nipah virus or not.
The deadly Nipah virus has so far claimed at least 14 lives, mostly in Kerala.
For those unversed, Nipah virus, spread by fruit bats, causes communicable disease and is fatal for both animals and humans. The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, drowsiness, respiratory illness, disorientation and mental confusion. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these signs and symptoms can progress to coma within 24-48 hours.