Nipah virus: Don't travel to Kozhikode, Kannur; TN, Kerala govt on alert

As the centre claims it to be a ''localised'' occurrence, will the neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu be able to prevent Nipah from invading their states?

Amid the outbreak of the Nipah virus, the Kerala government on Wednesday asked travellers to avoid visiting four northern districts of the state -- Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur. In an advisory issued by Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan, it was stated that travelling to any part of Kerala was safe. But if travellers wished to be extra cautious, they may avoid the four districts, it said.

"A few cases of infection by Nipah virus have been reported from Kozhikode district in Kerala. The infection remains highly localised, all cases being linked to one family," the advisory said. Surveillance by the government