Nipah Virus Resurfaces In Kerala: One Dead, Another Tests Positive

Nipah virus has resurfaced in Kerala. An 18-year-old girl from Malappuram, who died on July 1, tested positive for Nipah virus on Friday. The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune has confirmed the presence of the virus. Additionally, a 38-year-old woman currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Malappuram district has also tested positive.

Health officials have released the contact route map of both patients and listed 345 individuals under observation as a part of the contact list. In response, the Kerala Health Department has intensified surveillance measures, setting up control rooms in the Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad districts. 26 special teams have been deployed in each region to conduct contact tracing, monitor symptoms, and disseminate awareness to the public. Twenty wards in Malappuram have been declared containment zones.

Kerala had battled the first outbreak of Nipah in 2018. Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus that is transmitted from animals, primarily fruit bats (flying foxes), to humans and other animals, according to the US-based Centre for Disease Control. Symptoms include fever, headache, cough, sore throat, vomiting, and disorientation. Nipah virus infection has a high mortality rate, and deaths may occur in 40-75 percent of the cases.