Nipah claims one more life in Kerala, death toll climbs to 13

The dreaded Nipah virus claimed one more life in north Kerala on Saturday, taking the death toll to 13 even as state health authorities intensified efforts to detect the primary source of the outbreak.

The latest victim was identified as 62-year-old Kalyani Amma, who was admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital last week. Three more patients are still in a critical condition and 21 people have been kept under observation, sources in the hospital said.

The state health ministry has reiterated that no fresh cases were reported from the two Nipah-hit districts of Kozhikode and Malappuram.

Medical reports have suggested that insectivorous bats may not be the source of the Nipah outbreak, as was previously assumed.