"The Nipah virus disease is not a major outbreak and is only a local occurrence," the government said in a statement on Friday, adding that a team of experts continued to monitor the situation. Much is unknown about Nipah virus and the details of this outbreak. Nipah virus was discovered in humans in 1999 in Malaysia. The Nipah virus naturally occurs in bats. The Kerala outbreak "is definitely a concern," Weingartl said.

Source: CBC News May 25, 2018 08:01 UTC