All of Southern India, not just the Kozhikode district, must be on alert as the Nipah virus reemerged for the fourth time in five years. This virus is extremely deadly and has claimed the lives of far too many people. India’s growing population and increased density make the spread of viruses an even greater threat, and the outbreak of Nipah is a major cause for concern.
While the return of the Nipah virus is certainly not a welcomed development, India is far more prepared to deal with an outbreak than in the past. The COVID pandemic allowed many regions to develop an infrastructure and cooperative system to fight infectious diseases and provide care to patients. Indian citizens shouldn't be too concerned about this flare-up and trust that improved health care will keep everyone safe.
From deforestation to climate change to the global meat industry, humans have created conditions where "zoonotic spillover" of these types of viruses will become all too frequent. This is another example that we are living in a "Pandemicine" era of our own making.