In Kerala, health officials are urgently working to manage a Nipah virus outbreak following the death of a 14-year-old boy who tested positive for the virus. Of particular concern are six individuals from the Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram districts who had contact with the deceased boy, raising fears of a wider spread.
Health Minister Veena George stated on Monday that test results are pending for 13 close contacts of the boy, who was from Malappuram. The boy’s death on Sunday is the first Nipah-related fatality in Kerala since 2023. The test results are expected today, with nine samples sent to the Kozhikode Medical College Virology Lab and four to the Thiruvananthapuram Advanced Virology Institute. Notably, six of the tested individuals have shown symptoms.
A contact list of 350 people has been compiled, with 101 identified as high-risk, including 68 healthcare workers who treated the boy. Authorities have also identified the private bus he traveled on while ill.
The six individuals from Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram are of particular concern. Two from Palakkad are staff at a private hospital where the boy was treated, while the remaining four from Thiruvananthapuram received care at a medical facility in Perinthalmanna.
Officials are investigating the infection’s source, with initial reports suggesting the boy might have contracted the virus from eating fruit contaminated by bats, known carriers of Nipah. Minister George emphasized that further testing is necessary for confirmation. A team from the National Institute of Virology is arriving today to study the local bat population.
The Nipah variant found in the boy matches the strain detected in local bats. Efforts are underway, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), to identify potential fruit contamination.
As a precaution, wearing masks in public places across the affected district is now mandatory. Those identified as close contacts will undergo a mandatory 21-day isolation period, with strict monitoring for 21 days following their last contact with the deceased.
