Kerala Health Minister Veena George reported that the 14-year-old boy passed away at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode.
On July 21, a 14-year-old boy from Malappuram district in Kerala succumbed to the Nipah virus. This zoonotic virus, often transmitted from fruit bats to other animals and humans, has led the government to enforce containment measures in two panchayats within the district.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George reported that the boy passed away at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode due to a severe cardiac arrest. The National Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed the Nipah virus infection. A previous outbreak in Malappuram and Kozhikode in 2018 resulted in 17 fatalities.
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Government Response and Public Safety
Minister George reassured the public that the situation is under control, urging them not to panic. Currently, three of the boy’s relatives are under hospital surveillance, and four others who had contact with him are being observed at the Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital. So far, seven samples from high-risk contacts have tested negative for the virus.
Medical Efforts and Challenges
Despite doctors administering a monoclonal antibody procured from Australia, the treatment was too late to be effective, as it needs to be given within five days of infection onset.
The boy had fallen ill on July 10, and after his condition worsened, he was transferred to MCH Kozhikode too late, by which time encephalitis had developed. The boy will be buried following Nipah protocol in his village.
Containment Measures
District Collector V.R. Vinod has mandated masks and social distancing in Malappuram. Educational institutions and cinema theatres in the Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats are closed, and social gatherings are discouraged. Shops within the containment zones are allowed to operate only from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Public Health Advisory
District Medical Officer R. Renuka advised residents to seek immediate medical attention if they experience fever symptoms and warned against self-treatment. She also cautioned against consuming partly-eaten fruits, especially those left by bats, birds, or animals.
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Central Government Support
The Union government will deploy a multi-member joint outbreak response team to Malappuram to assist the state. This team will help identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical support to manage the outbreak effectively.