Malappuram man died of Nipah virus infection, confirms Kerala health minister

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Sunday, September 19, said a 24-year-old man who recently died at a private hospital in Malappuram was infected with the Nipah virus.

The Kerala Health minister said “the available samples were immediately sent for testing” after the regional medical officer who conducted a death investigation suspected a ‘Nipah infection.’

"It turned out to be positive," the minister added.

The man, a native of Malappuram's Naduvath was a student in Bengaluru and had came home to avail treatment for a leg injury. Later, he contracted a fever and consulted doctors at different hospitals. He died on September 9 at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna.

Malappuram health officials said the results from Kozhikode medical college indicated a positive result, after which a high-level meeting was held by the health minister on Saturday night itself and initiated the necessary steps as per the protocol.

Meanwhile, the results from National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune on Sunday confirmed the infection.

Minister Veena George informed that as per the Nipah protocol 16 committees were formed to monitor and prevent the situation on Saturday itself, right after the samples tested positive in Kozhikode Medical College.

The minister said the decesed had travelled with his friends to various places and the close contacts had been isolated.

“We have taken the details of his contact list and isolated those who came in direct contact with him. The samples of five persons in the contact list have been sent for lab tests as they have shown slight symptoms of Nipah,” the minister said.

The health officials have prepared a list of 151 persons who were in contact with the youth.

"Minor fever and symptoms were found in five of those under isolation and their samples have been sent for testing," the minister said. Two persons from the contact list have been admitted to the Manjeri Medical College Hospital for observation, the minister added.