Union Health Minister JP Nadda has ordered the constitution of a high-level team of doctors to tackle the Nipah virus outbreak, which has claimed several lives in Kerala in the last two weeks. The order was given by the minister after he reviewed the situation.


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According to news agency, ANI, a team constituted under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has already reached Kerala. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is constantly in touch with the Kerala Health department.


Notably, the Kerala Health department has been put on high alert after the rare virus claimed five lives in the state.


At least nine people died in Kozhikode in Kerala due to high fever. News agency ANI reported that the health department of the state confirmed that two out of the nine deceased were affected with the rare Nipah virus.


Earlier, there were reports of death of three members of a family in Kozhikode due to the Nipah virus. Following the deaths, the Kerala Health Department has been put on high alert.


Lok Sabha MP and former Union minister Mullappally Ramachandran had sought the central government's intervention to contain the outbreak of what he termed was a 'rare and deadly' virus in some parts of Kozhikode district.


In a letter to union health minister JP Nadda, a copy of which was made available to the press in Kochi, he said some panchayats, including Kuttiyadi and Perambra, in his Lok Sabha constituency of Vatakara were in the grip of the 'deadly virus'.