Nipah outbreak in Kerala? Teen dies, four develop symptoms; union govt issues advisory

The southernmost Indian state of Kerala is bracing for a potential Nipah virus outbreak after a 14-year-old infected boy breathed his last on Sunday (Jul 21). The state health minister said authorities in the Malappuram district have identified at least 60 peoplein a high-risk category and have taken preventive steps. Minister Veena George said that the boy had a massive cardiac arrest at around 11:00 am IST. Doctors failed to revive him and he was pronounced dead at 11:30 am.

The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune had confirmed on Saturday that the boy was infected with Nipah virus. The virus comes from fruit bats and pigs and causes brain-swelling fatal fever.

Alert sounded in Malappuram

The Kerala health department has opened a control room in Malappuram, and the district has been put on high alert. A lockdown has been imposed in the villageof the infected boy, and people in the area have been told to wear masks.

Watch:India: Brain-eating amoeba kills 3 in Kerala

Veena George informed local media that at least four more people have developed Nipah symptoms and one of them is on life support system. A total of 240 people are currently under observation.

The health minister on Saturday held a high-level meeting to review preparations and constituted 25 committees to identify and isolate affected people.

Union govt issues advisory

Meanwhile, the central government on Sunday asked the Kerala government to implement four immediate public health measures to control the spread of the Nipah virus.

The union government has advised the state to implement public health measures, such as active contact tracing over the past 12 days, strict quarantine of contacts associated with the case, and isolation of any suspected cases.

It has asked the state government to trace all contacts of the identified case over the past 12 days to monitor for symptoms and prevent further spread of the virus.

Contacts of the confirmed case should be quarantined strictly, and anyone showing symptoms should be isolated to contain the virus.

Additionally, the Union Health Ministry said it will deploy amulti-member joint outbreak response team from the National One Health Mission.

The team will help the state governmentinvestigate the case, identify epidemiological linkages, and provide technical assistance.

Nipah in Kerala

A Reuters investigation last year found that Kerala is one of the major Nipah hotspots of the world.

The Nipah outbreak has been recorded in the state four times in the past. The first outbreak was recorded in 2018 when the virus claimed 17 lives. In 2023, two patients lost their lives to Nipah. Further outbreaks were recorded in 2019 and 2021.

George earlier urged the state residents not to destroy bat habitats, as disturbing them could increase the risk of virus transmission.

She warned people against consuming fruits that had bite marks on them and consuming honey from banana peels. She also called for maintaining proper hygiene if anyone comes into contact with bats.

"We must all be vigilant and proactive in our efforts to prevent the spread of Nipah. By following these guidelines, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones," the health minister said.

(With inputs from agencies)