A man who was undergoing treatment for West Nile fever in Kerala's Thrissur succumbed to it on Sunday.
Kerala's health department has sounded an alert in the wake of the death.
What is West Nile Virus (WNV) ?
WNV is an infectious disease spread by infected mosquitoes. It spreads from birds to humans with the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. It can lead to a fatal neurological disease in humans.
The virus causes West Nile fever in around 20 percent of cases, according to World Health Organization (WHO). It is related to the Zika, dengue and yellow fever viruses.
Origination of WNV:
According to WHO, WNV was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. It was identified in birds (crows and columbiformes) in Nile delta region in 1953.
