Kerala : 12-year-old boy dies of Nipah Virus

A 12-year-old boy died on Sunday in Kerala's Kozhikode after being infected with the Nipah virus. The state government held a high-level meeting late Saturday night which was attended by health officials.

 

The boy was admitted to the hospital on September 1 after which his blood samples were sent to Pune National Institute of Virology (PNIV). PNIV confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus. Seventeen people who came in contact with the boy have been placed under observation and they will also be tested for the Nipah virus. The police have sealed the area within a 3km radius around the boy's house.

Health Minister Veena George said that those who came in contact with the boy don't show any symptoms but are being monitored constantly. However, two health workers are showing symptoms of the said virus. She said, "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." She also added that neighboring Kannur and Malappuram districts remain cautious. The authorities have also declared a health alert in the district.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus that can be transmitted to humans from animals like bats and pigs. The virus has a very high fatality rate and there is no vaccine or treatment is available. The natural hosts of the Nipah virus are fruit bats that are widely found in South and South-East Asia. Infection can also be transmitted from contaminated food and from human-to-human transmission.

The Nipah virus was last reported in Kerala in 2019 in Kochi. An outbreak claimed 17 lives in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in 2018.

Writer - Tanishq Aggarwal

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