Kochi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said the mystery illness that claimed three lives in Kozhikode was due to nipah virus. The matter had been brought to the notice of the Central health department and WHO, he told reporters at Palakkad.

He said there was no cause for panic as all arrangements had been made to meet any contingency situation. Efforts were being made to create awareness among public. The Health Minister and other people’s representatives were engaged in awareness generation An alert had been sounded across the State, he said and assistance had also been sought from private hospitals.