Nipah Virus Claims Two Lives in Kozhikode, Two Undergoing Treatment:
Two additional individuals, including a nine-year-old boy, in Kerala’s Kozhikode district have tested positive for Nipah virus infection, according to State Health Minister Veena George’s announcement on Tuesday night. Out of seven blood samples sent for testing, three have returned positive results. Two of the infected individuals are currently receiving treatment, while one sadly passed away on Monday. Another person, who had contact with one of the infected individuals, also died on August 30, and it is suspected that Nipah might have been the cause. Health authorities have identified 168 people, including 127 healthcare professionals, who had contact with the infected individuals and have issued a mask-wearing directive for everyone in the district.
Among those who tested positive were a nine-year-old boy and his uncle. The boy’s father, a 40-year-old man who passed away recently, had also tested positive for the virus. The Health Minister, Veena George, who has been in Kozhikode since Tuesday morning to oversee the situation, assured the public that the situation is under control and being managed in accordance with established protocols.
On Tuesday morning, a person who died in Kozhikode due to fever and breathing difficulties on Monday had their sample test positive for the Nipah virus. In response to this development, a central team of officials from Delhi has been dispatched to Kozhikode.
The 40-year-old individual who tested positive for Nipah had come into contact with a relative last month. His relative developed a fever on August 22 and was admitted to a nearby hospital on August 25, subsequently passing away on August 30. Although the relative’s blood sample was not examined, it is presumed that Nipah might have been the cause.
This new case is approximately 15 kilometers away from the initial Nipah virus outbreak in southern India, first identified in Kozhikode in May 2018 and subsequently in 2021.
Nipah virus infection is primarily a zoonotic disease, capable of transmission from animals to humans, and it can also spread through contaminated food or direct contact.
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