The government will deploy a multi-member joint outbreak response team to support Kerala in investigating a Nipah virus case detected in the Malapuram district. This team aims to identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical assistance. The Union health ministry announced on Sunday that a 14-year-old boy from the district exhibited acute encephalitis syndrome. He was initially admitted to a healthcare facility in Perinthalmanna before being transferred to a higher health center in Kozhikode, where he succumbed to the disease. Samples sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology confirmed Nipah virus infection.
The ministry highlighted that fruit bats are the usual reservoir of the Nipah virus, and humans can become infected by consuming bat-contaminated fruits. Previous Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) outbreaks have occurred in Kerala, with the last one in Kozhikode district in 2023. The state has been advised to implement public health measures, such as active case searches in the boy’s family and neighborhood and in areas with similar topography. Additionally, the state is to trace people who have been in contact with the patient in the last 12 days and enforce strict quarantine for them and isolation for suspects.
The multi-member joint outbreak response team from the health ministry’s ‘One Health’ mission will assist Kerala in investigating the case and providing technical support. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sent monoclonal antibodies for patient management, but they could not be used due to the boy’s poor condition. A mobile BSL-3 laboratory for testing samples from patient contacts has also reached Kozhikode to aid in the investigation and containment efforts.
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