Fear of Nipah in Kerala as teen who died tests positive, one critical
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Palakkad/ Kozhikode: Fresh concerns have been raised in Kerala following the re-emergence of the deadly Nipah virus, which has claimed the life of an 18-year-old girl from Malappuram. In a related case, a 39-year-old woman from Palakkad is critically ill after testing positive for the virus.
Both cases were confirmed on Friday by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The teenager passed away on July 1 while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. Meanwhile, the woman is undergoing treatment at a private facility in Perinthalmanna, located in Malappuram district, TNIE reported.
In response to the new cases, authorities have intensified surveillance in the districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad. Health Minister Veena George has instructed officials in these areas to stay on high alert and carry out coordinated containment and monitoring measures.
The 18-year-old girl from Makkaraparamb in Malappuram, who later died of Nipah, had initially been taken to a private hospital in Kottakkal with high fever and severe vomiting on June 28. She was then shifted to a hospital in Kozhikode, where doctors reported she was already brain-dead upon arrival. Following her case, 43 healthcare workers who had come into contact with her have been placed under quarantine.
In the second confirmed case, a 39-year-old woman from Palakkad is reported to be in critical condition and currently on ventilator support. A senior health official from the district stated that the woman had developed a fever nearly three weeks ago and had visited at least two healthcare facilities—one near her home in Palode and another in Karingillathani. Her movement between multiple treatment centres has widened the scope of contact tracing and increased the challenges in assessing potential exposure.
Health authorities have compiled a contact list that includes 211 individuals from Malappuram, 91 from Palakkad, and 43 from Kozhikode who are believed to have been in contact with the two confirmed cases.
