Nipah Virus (NiV) has taken India by shock. Reportedly 10 deaths in South Indian State of Kerala have been confirmed due to the virus. It was first identified in Kampung Sungai Nipah village in Malaysia in 1998. The virus was then named after this village. However it was only now that the World Health Organization (WHO) has claimed the virus to be added in the newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease. Read: What is Nipah Virus? Here's why the Nipah virus is deadly: The natural host of the virus is fruit bats belonging to the Pteropodidae family. This means