Authorities in India's southern Kerala state are racing to contain an outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus.

The virus – which has a fatality rate of up to 75 percent - killed a 12-year-old boy in Kerala over the weekend, prompting ramped-up efforts to trace his contacts.

New infections have seen been confirmed.

Transmitted from animals to humans, the virus is found in contaminated food. People, once infected with Nipah can pass on to others.