A 12-year-old boy died due to Nipah virus infection at a hospital in Kerala on Sunday, state Health Minister Veena George said.
“The death of a 12-year-old boy has been confirmed due to Nipah virus. We have already started contact tracing, and assessing the situation. The team from NCDC is also coordinating with us” said, Kerala Health Minister Veena George in Kozhikode
The samples of the boy were sent to the Pune National Institute of Virology, confirmed the presence of Nipah virus. A team of the National Centre for Disease Control has been rushed to the state on Sunday.
The team will provide technical support to the state.
Nipah virus is spread by saliva of the fruit bats.
A case of Nipah virus has been detected in Kozhikode district of Kerala.
A suspected case of NIPAH, a 12 yr old boy who presented with features of encephalitis and myocarditis was reported on 3rd September, 2021 from Kozhikode district of Kerala.
The virus is spread by saliva of fruit bats. The boy was hospitalized and has passed away today morning.
The Central Government has rushed a team of NCDC to the State, which will be reaching today. The team will provide technical support to the State.
The following immediate public health measures have been advised by the Centre:
- Active case search in the family, families, village and areas with similar topography (especially Malappuram).
- Active contact tracing (for any contacts) during past 12 days.
- Strict quarantine of the contacts and isolation of any suspects.
- Collection and transportation of samples for lab testing.
It may be recalled that in 2018 also, there was a Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala.
Giving details of the case, the minister told reporters, “Unfortunately, the boy passed away at 5 in the morning. The condition of the child was critical on Saturday night. We formed various teams and have started the tracing. Steps have been taken to isolate those who were the primary contacts of the boy”.
The minister said the infection was confirmed by the Pune NIV on Saturday night.
“Three samples– plasma, CSF and serum– were found infected. He was admitted to the hospital with a heavy fever four days ago. But on Saturday, his condition became worse. We had sent his samples for testing the day before yesterday,” the minister said.
Ms George said none of the close contacts of the boy is showing any symptoms as of now and that the health department has already traced out the contacts of the child. “There is nothing to worry about. The health department is closely following up on the situation. Special officers have been posted and special teams were formed. The patient was first taken to a private hospital, then to the medical college and from there again shifted to a private hospital. So we have traced all his contacts. The friends he played within his locality, his cousins and others, the health department had completed the identification and tracing of all these contacts,” Ms George said.
