A letter written by the Kerala nurse who died of the 'Nipah' virus has gone viral in the social media, leaving people teary-eyed.
Twenty eight-year-old Lini working in the Perambra Taluk Hospital in Kozhikode got exposed to the 'deadly' virus while treating affected patients.
She died on Monday.
Lini leaves behind her husband who works in Bahrain and two sons, aged five and two.
In her letter to her husband Sajeesh, Lini expressed her pain and anguish that she could not see him again.
"I am almost on the way. I do not think I can meet you," she had said.
She had requested her husband to take care of their children and take them to the Gulf nation with him.
Her relatives could not see even her body. However, they paid their last respects as they allowed the authorities to cremate the body to prevent the chance of spreading the virus.
After coming to know of Lini's health, Sajeesh had come home two days ago.
The Nipah virus has so far claimed 10 lives in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in north Kerala while the condition of two undergoing treatment is said to be critical.
Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans.
The natural host of the virus is the fruit bat of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.
There is no vaccination for the virus which has a mortality rate of 70%.
Health officials said they had found mangoes bitten by bats in a home where three people died of the suspected infection, according to a report.
There is no vaccine for the Nipah virus that has broken out in Kerala state. It can cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, the World Health Organization says. The usual treatment is supportive care.
The first death happened on Friday in the district of Kozhikode, said K.K. Shailaja, health minister of the state, a magnet for tourists.
"This is a new situation for us. We have no prior experience in dealing with the Nipah virus," said Shailaja. "We are hopeful we can put a stop to the outbreak."
Of 18 people screened for the virus, 12 came back positive, she told a news conference, adding that 10 of them had died, with the other two being monitored closely.
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