Ten die in India outbreak of brain-damaging virus, spurring rush to hospitals

Medics wearing protective gear examine a patient at a hospital in Kozhikode in the southern state of Kerala, India

A rare virus spread by fruit bats, which can cause flu-like symptoms and brain damage, has killed 10 people in southern India, health officials said on Tuesday, with at least nine more being treated.

Infectious disease outbreaks can be a challenge in India, the world’s second most populous country, where infection control and surveillance systems are weak, leading to hundreds of deaths annually from diseases such as mosquito-borne dengue.