India seeks antibody doses from Australia to tackle Nipah virus outbreak

NEW DELHI - The Indian government will seek more doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia for treating the Nipah virus infection as concerns grow over the viral outbreak in southern India.

"We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently the doses are available for only 10 patients," Rajeev Bahl, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, was quoted as saying in local media reports on Friday.

"Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of the infection," he said.

The infection causes fever with a high mortality rate, which Bahl said was 40-70 per cent for the Nipah virus compared to the 2 to 3 per cent rate in Covid-19 cases.

India is trying to contain the outbreak of Nipah, which was first reported in the state of Kerala and has claimed two lives.

Hundreds of people have been potentially exposed to the virus, according to the reports.

A number of villages have been declared containment zones and schools have been closed in Kerala.

Authorities in Karnataka state said they have increased surveillance in border districts against the virus and Tamil Nadu's health department said it would follow the guidelines issued by the federal government. - BERNAMA