Nipah test result expected by evening, says Kerala health minister

Kerala Health Minister Veena George has said that the results of the samples sent for tests following suspected Nipah infection at Kozhikode in Kerala were expected by Tuesday evening. 

Samples from the two deceased and three with suspected infection were sent for tests at National Institute of Virology in Pune. 

A 49-year-old man hailing from Maruthonkara in the suburbs of the district died on August 30 and another 40-year old man hailing from Ayanchery in Vadakara, about 20 kilometres from Maruthonkara, died on Monday with symptoms of Nipah. Both of them were suspected to have come in contact. 

Two children of the 49-year old, and two of his close relatives including a ten-month-old child were under treatment with suspected infection. The condition of a nine-year-old son of the deceased was reported to be serious. 

The health minister said that contact tracing of the person who died on Monday was on. A general health alert was sounded across the state. In case Nipah is confirmed further steps would be taken.

All in the high risk categories with suspected symptoms in the district were being isolated. 

Kerala witnessed a major Nipah outbreak in 2018 leading to death of 17 person in Kozhikode district.

In 2019 one person in Kochi got the Nipah infection. He was cured. A 12 year old boy died of Nipah at Kozhikode in 2021. But an outbreak could be contained especially since the state had a protocol to deal with the disease after the outbreak in 2018.

Fruit bats are generally considered to spread the zoonotic (transferred to humans from animals) Nipah virus. It can also be transmitted directly from human-to-human. The case fatality rate was estimated at 40 to 75 per cent.