The test results for the four Nipah patients receiving treatment in Kozhikode, Kerala, were reported as negative on Friday. Kerala Health Minister stated, “All the patients, including the critically ill 9-year-old boy, have tested double negative.” This double negative indicates that two samples from each Nipah patient, taken after a specific interval, yielded negative results, signifying their recovery from the deadly virus.
The young boy contracted the virus from his father, the initial Nipah victim in 2023, who had been on ventilator support for several weeks. The other three patients who tested negative include the victim’s brother-in-law, a healthcare worker from Iqraa Hospital in Kozhikode, and a Cheruvannur native.
Following the absence of new Nipah cases reported since September 16, the Kerala government has lifted containment measures and related restrictions in northern Kozhikode district. District Collector A Geetha announced the reopening of schools in containment zones, resuming regular classes while emphasizing the continued need for virus prevention measures such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand sanitization.
All educational institutions in the district had been closed since September 14, with online classes being conducted following the state’s declaration of a Nipah virus outbreak on September 12.
To date, six individuals have been confirmed to have contracted the virus, with two fatalities. The first person who succumbed to the virus on August 30 was identified as the index case, from whom others contracted the infection.
As of September 24, 915 individuals were under observation, none of them categorized as high-risk, according to health authorities. A total of 377 samples had been tested, with 363 of them yielding negative results.
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