Kerala: Two Identified With Nipah Symptoms, Were High Risk Contacts Of The First Patient

On Sunday morning, a 12-year-old boy, who was admitted to a private hospital at Kozhikode in Kerala with Nipah virus, died without responding to the treatment. 

Chennai: Following the death of a 12-year-old boy due to Nipah virus, Kerala health authorities have identified two more people with the symptoms of Nipah virus infection. 

According to a PTI report, Kerala health minister Veena George said that the two were among the high risk contacts of the deceased. 

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

Quoting the minister, the report said that all the high risk contacts would be shifted to the Kozhikode Medical College hospital by evening and other contacts have been asked to remain in isolation. The pay ward at the hospital has been completely converted into a dedicated Nipah ward, she said, as per the report. 

On Sunday morning, a 12-year-old boy, who was admitted to a private hospital at Kozhikode in Kerala with Nipah virus, died without responding to the treatment. 

Confirming the death of the boy due to Nipah virus, the health minister, according to PTI, said that the condition of the boy was critical last night and the boy passed away at 5 am on Sunday. “We formed various teams yesterday night and have started the tracing. Steps have been taken to isolate those who are the primary contact of the boy,” the minister told news persons, according to the report. 

A statement from the union government said that the central government has rushed a team to Kerala to support them in Public health measures and the team would reach the state later on Sunday. 

According to a report in The Indian Express, the Kerala government had held a high-level meeting with officials from the health department following the information that the boy was suspected to have been infected with Nipah virus. 

According to a Hindu report, the first Nipah case was reported in Kerala in 2018 and then reappeared in 2019. So far, 23 cases were suspected to be infected with the virus in the state but only 18 were confirmed in the laboratory. Of the 23 cases, only two people have survived the infection.