Kerala’s annual battle with vector-borne diseases has begun early this year, even before the South West monsoon, with West Nile Fever (WNF) being reported from several districts.
(For top health news of the day, subscribe to our newsletter Health Matters)
The first official alert was sounded by the Health Department on May 7 and according to the IDSP report to date, the State has reported 20 suspected cases (only 10 cases confirmed so far) and two deaths are also suspected. Given that Kerala has been endemic for the WN virus for at least two decades and that 80% of cases are asymptomatic, for every officially reported case, there could be several unreported and asymptomatic cases in the community.
