Kerala teen, who tested positive for Nipah, dies in Kozhikode hospital

On Saturday, after the National Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed that the boy had tested positive for the Nipah virus, he was moved to the Medical College Hospital.

Health Minister Veena George told reporters in Malappuram that the boy had a cardiac arrest at 10.50 am and that he was declared dead at 11.30 am. “All efforts were made to save his life. Doses of monoclonal antibodies were brought from NIV-Pune on Sunday. A medical board had met on Sunday for administering the antibodies,” she said.

The body of the Nipah victim being brought for burial at Pandikkad in Malappuram district. (Express)

The minister said four people in the victim’s contact list have developed Nipah symptoms. “One of them is critical and on life support… Although the government medical college hospital in Kozhikode and Virology Lab in Thiruvananthapuram have the facility for testing the samples, a mobile lab from NIV-Pune will be brought to Malappuram for testing. Samples of all those in the high-risk category will be tested,” she said.

Samples of seven people, including six friends of the victim, tested negative for Nipah. The minister said 330 people, including 68 health workers, are under observation after they emerged in the contact list of the 14-year-old. Of them, 101 are in the high-risk category.

The Health Department has opened a control room in Malappuram, and an alert has been declared in the district. People were advised to wear masks and a lockdown was declared in selected areas under Pandikkad panchayat, where the boy is from, and nearby Anakkayam panchayat.

A route map of the victim has been published to encourage people to self-report if they have come in contact with him. A door-to-door survey will also be held in these two panchayats.

The Centre has rushed a “One Health” outbreak response team to Kerala to investigate the case. The team will identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical assistance to the state. The Centre has urged the state to carry out active search for Nipah virus cases in the family of the boy, neighbouring areas, and areas with similar topography. The state has also been asked to trace all contacts of the boy over the last 12 days. Strict quarantine of the contacts and isolation of those suspected to have the infection have been advised.

The Indian Council of Medical Research, on the state’s request, has sent monoclonal antibodies against the infection to the state. While the monoclonal antibodies had reached before the death, it could not be used because of the poor general condition of the boy, according to a statement by the Union Health Ministry.

Nipah is a viral infection that mainly affects animals such as bats, pigs, dogs, and horses, but can jump to humans who come in contact with infected animals and cause serious illness. Nipah usually presents as fever and swelling of the brain.

Kerala has had a number of Nipah outbreaks since 2018.

In 2018, 17 of 18 infected persons had died. One death was reported in 2021, and two in 2023. With the death of the 14-year-old on Sunday, the total number of deaths due to Nipah in Kerala since 2018 has gone up to 21.

The state Health Department has not yet found how the 14-year-old boy was exposed to the virus. The department has also not confirmed whether the victim is the index case for this year.

A study on the 2018 outbreak had found that the first case was infected from bats, and others from hospital. The virus reported in Kerala belonged to a Bangladeshi strain, which is known for its high mortality rate.