Don't be afraid, govt taking precautionary actions against Nipah virus: Kerala CM

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Monday that the Kerala government was taking precautionary actions and closely monitoring the situation after a suspected case of Nipah virus was reported in Kochi. "The government is closely monitoring the current situation," Vijayan said in a Facebook post and urged everyone to follow the instructions of the Health Department.

"No one needs to be afraid. Be alert. The Health Department is all set to face any situation," he said. The chief minister also asked people not to indulge in fake campaigns about the Nipah virus on social media.

State Health Minister K K Shailaja had earlier said that a college student in Kochi was suspected to have been infected with the Nipah virus but a confirmatory report was awaited from the National Institute of Virology, Pune.

(With inputs from agencies.)