In Kerala, one person died after contracting Nipah virus. The patient was 24 years old. Kerala Health Minister Veena George informed about the patient’s death on Sunday. He said a youth infected with Nipah virus died at a private hospital in Malappuram.
George said district medical officials suspected Nipah virus infection after conducting a death investigation. “The available samples were immediately sent for testing and the results were positive,” the minister said in a statement.
The youth, who had arrived in Kerala from Bengaluru, was a resident of Malappuram. He died on September 9, following which his samples were sent to the laboratory of the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for testing, the news agency reported.
Nipah virus spreading again in Kerala
Malappuram health officials said the test results from the Kozhikode Medical College came back positive, following which the health minister convened a high-level meeting on Saturday evening and directed to take necessary steps as per the protocol. Meanwhile, results from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune on Sunday also confirmed the presence of Nipah virus.
The minister said that on Saturday evening, 16 committees were formed and a contact list of 151 people was identified. He said the person had visited different places with his friends and those who had seen him were quarantined afterwards.
Five people who met the patient were also ill
“Among those who were quarantined, five showed symptoms like mild fever, following which their samples were also sent for testing,” the minister said.A boy from Malappuram, who was being treated for Nipah infection, also died on July 21. This was the first case of Nipah infection in the state this year.
The Nipah disaster in Kerala
Nipah outbreaks occurred in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021 and 2023, and in Ernakulam district in 2019. A study showed the presence of Nipah virus antibodies in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
Follow us On Social Media Google News and Twitter/X