Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced that a 14-year-old boy from Malappuram district has been diagnosed with Nipah virus. The National Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed the infection. The boy is currently hospitalized in a private hospital and is on a ventilator. He will be transferred to the government medical college at Kozhikode.
Contact tracing has begun, and high-risk contacts have been isolated and tested.
The minister stated that the epicenter of the outbreak is Pandikkad and that precautionary measures are in place. She urged residents of the area and nearby hospitals to wear masks in public spaces and limit hospital visits.
The state government has prepared a special action plan to prevent a Nipah outbreak, as the virus has been a concern in Kerala on several occasions in the past. Nipah outbreaks have occurred in Kozhikode in 2018, 2021, and 2023, and in Ernakulam in 2019. Nipah virus antibodies have been detected in bats in several districts, including Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, and Ernakulam.