14-yr-old dies of Nipah in Kerala, 4 contacts traced

New Delhi, July 21

A 14-year-old boy from Kerala’s Mallapuram, who had tested positive for the Nipah virus, succumbed to the disease at Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode on Sunday.

Kerala Health Department officials said the boy had developed fever 10 days ago and was put on ventilator support at a private hospital in Kozhikode. His samples were sent to the NIV, Pune, which on July 20 confirmed Nipah infection. Four persons who had come into contact with the victim have been traced and their samples sent for tests. The Union Health Ministry on Sunday announced that a multi-member joint outbreak response team will be deployed to support Kerala in identifying epidemiological linkages and providing technical assistance.

“Additionally, at Kerala’s request, the ICMR has sent monoclonal antibodies for patient management. A mobile BSL-3 laboratory for testing additional samples from contacts has arrived in Kozhikode. The monoclonal antibodies had reached before the patient died, but could not be used due to his poor condition,” the ministry said.

Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-produced molecules engineered to serve as substitute antibodies that can restore, enhance, modify or mimic the immune system’s attack on cells that aren’t wanted, such as cancer cells.

In 2023 as well, Kerala reported a Nipah outbreak. Fruit bats are the usual reservoir of the virus, and humans can become infected by accidentally consuming bat-contaminated fruits.

Kerala had reported Nipah disease outbreak in 2018 in Kozhikode and Malappuram with around nine documented deaths.

How it spreads

From close contact with other Nipah-infected people, bats, or pigs. Bat secretions laden with viruses can infect people when they climb fruit trees, or eat and handle contaminated fallen fruits or consume raw date palm sap and juice or toddy.

The symptoms

Brain fever; fever with persistent cough and difficulty in breathing.

How to prevent

Wash hands with soap and water after coming in contact with a sick person or animal; avoid consuming raw date palm sap or toddy; eat only washed fruits; avoid consuming half-eaten fruits picked from the ground.