Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandvya on Tuesday confirmed 2 deaths reported from Kerala's Kozhikode district were caused by Nipah virus.

"We don't have that information yet," said Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Mandvya's confirmation.

Veena George held a high-level meeting in Kozhikode for preparations to tackle the virus outbreak.

A 75-room isolation facility, with six ICUs and 4 ventilators, has been set up in Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

There will be a separate ICU facility for kids.

Two persons have died, but not everyone in the contact list of the deceased should be isolated in hospitals.

Only symptomatic patients need hospitalisation. Others could be isolated at home under strict observation.

Contagion protocol, including masks for common people and PPE for hospital staff and health workers dealing with the patients, was initiated with immediate effect.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the health department has issued an alert and the government is considering the situation seriously.

According to WHO, the Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals.

It can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person.

Among infected people, it causes a range of illnesses, from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.