Two more cases of Nipah virus confirmed after 12-year-old’s death in Kerala

Kozhikode: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Sunday confirmed two more cases of Nipah virus infection hours after a 12-year-old died at a hospital in Kozhikode.

“Two more persons have been identified with the symptoms of Nipah virus infection,’’ Health Minister Veena George was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The two are among the 20 high-risk contacts of the deceased 12-year-old child, she said. 

"We have identified 188 contacts till now. The surveillance team has marked 20 of them as high-risk contacts. Two of these high-risk contacts have symptoms. Both are health workers. One works with a private hospital, while the other is a staff member of Kozhikode Medical College hospital," she told reporters after chairing a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation.

She said all the 20 high-risk contacts will be shifted to the Kozhikode Medical College by evening, while other contacts of the child have been asked to remain in isolation. 

This came hours after a 12-year-old boy died due to a Nipah virus infection. The samples of the boy, which were sent to the Pune National Institute of Virology, confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus. The Central Government, meanwhile, has rushed a team of the National Centre for Disease Control to the state, which will be reaching in the evening on Sunday.

The team will provide technical support to the state. Nipah virus is spread by the saliva of the fruit bats.

Giving details of the case, the Minister told reporters, "Unfortunately, the boy passed away at 5 in the morning. The condition of the child was critical on Saturday night. We formed various teams and have started the tracing. Steps have been taken to isolate those who were the primary contacts of the boy".

The death of a 12-year-old boy has been confirmed due to Nipah virus. We have already started contact tracing, and assessing the situation. The team from NCDC is also coordinating with us: Kerala Health Minister Veena George in Kozhikode pic.twitter.com/GWQPlbrJwY — ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2021

The Minister said the infection was confirmed by the Pune NIV on Saturday night.

"Three samples-- plasma, CSF and serum-- were found infected. He was admitted to the hospital with a heavy fever four days ago. But on Saturday, his condition became worse. We had sent his samples for testing the day before yesterday," the Minister said.

George said none of the close contacts of the boy are showing any symptoms as of now and that the health department has already traced out the contacts of the child.

"There is nothing to worry about. The health department is closely following up on the situation. Special officers have been posted and special teams were formed. The patient was first taken to a private hospital, then to the medical college and from there again shifted to a private hospital. So we have traced all his contacts. His friends in his locality, his cousins and others, the health department had completed the identification and tracing of all these contacts," George said.

The minister also asked the neighbouring Kannur and Malappuram districts to remain cautious. Hospital sources said the boy will be cremated today itself following the health protocol.

Police have cordoned off an area of a three km radius around the house of the boy. In the wake of the Nipah virus resurfacing in Kerala, the Centre has advised some immediate public health measures which include active case search in the family, village and areas with similar topography, especially in Malappuram.

The measures also include active contact tracing for any contacts in the past 12 days, strict quarantine of the contacts and isolation of any suspects and collection and transportation of samples for lab testing, the ministry said.

The first Nipah virus disease outbreak in South India was reported from Kozhikode district of Kerala on May 19, 2018. There have been 17 deaths and 18 confirmed cases as of June 1, 2018.