Kerala’s health minister, Veena George, announced on Sunday that officials are taking preventive measures following the death of a 14-year-old boy from the Nipah virus. The state government has identified 60 individuals in the high-risk category.
Dr. Anoop Kumar, director of critical care medicine at Aster MIMS Hospital in Calicut, reported that a school-going boy had tested positive for Nipah. “There is a minimal chance of an outbreak of Nipah virus at this stage,” he stated, noting that the situation would be monitored for the next 7-10 days.
Nipah, which originates from fruit bats and animals such as pigs, can cause a lethal, brain-swelling fever in humans. It is classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its epidemic potential. There is currently no vaccine or cure.
George revealed that 214 people are on the primary contact list of the infected boy, with 60 categorized as high-risk. Isolation wards have been established at health institutions to treat patients. “The infected boy died on Sunday after a cardiac arrest,” she told local TV reporters.
Family members of the deceased are under observation at a local hospital in Malappuram, 350 km from Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram. Local media reported that others potentially at risk have been advised to isolate at home.
The state government has formed 25 committees to identify and isolate affected individuals. The Nipah virus first appeared in Kerala in 2018 and has caused several deaths since then. Initially identified 25 years ago in Malaysia, the virus has led to outbreaks in Bangladesh, India, and Singapore.
