Government Deploys Joint Team to Investigate Nipah Virus Case in Kerala

The government is sending a multi-member joint response team to Kerala's Mallapuram district to investigate a Nipah virus case involving a 14-year-old boy who succumbed to the disease. The team aims to identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical assistance. The state has been advised to implement public health measures and patient tracing.

The government will deploy a multi-member joint outbreak response team to support Kerala in investigating a Nipah virus case detected in its Mallapuram district, identifying epidemiological linkages, and providing technical assistance.

In a statement on Sunday, the Union health ministry confirmed that a 14-year-old boy from the district, who exhibited acute encephalitis syndrome, succumbed to the disease. He was initially admitted to a healthcare facility in Perinthalmanna before being transferred to a higher health center in Kozhikode. The Pune-based National Institute of Virology confirmed Nipah virus infection from his samples.

Fruit bats are the usual reservoir of the virus, and human infection can occur through the consumption of bat-contaminated fruits. The last Nipah outbreak in Kerala was in 2023 in Kozhikode district. Immediate public health measures, including active case searches and patient contact tracing, have been advised. The 'One Health' mission of the health ministry will support these efforts, and a mobile BSL-3 laboratory has been sent to Kozhikode.