Concerns grow as Kerala reports sixth Nipah case within a year

The Hindu

2 days ago

A fresh Nipah case in Palakkad district has sent alarm bells ringing and sparked fears that the deadly virus hasn't been contained despite the best efforts of the health authorities.
The Palakkad district was hit with a second Nipah case on Saturday (July 12, 2025) night as a 58-year-old man who had died at a private hospital at Perinthalmanna tested positive for the virus.
He was under treatment at the Perinthalmanna hospital for fever-related ailments. Since Saturday (July 12, 2025) evening, Palakkad and Malappuram districts have been on tenterhooks.
Even before the official confirmation from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune came, health authorities in Palakkad and Malappuram districts swiftly initiated contact-tracing for individuals who interacted with the Nipah victim over the past three weeks.
The latest death marks the sixth Nipah case in Kerala within a year, starting with the death of a 14-year-old boy at Pandikkad in Malappuram in July 2024.
Health Minister Veena George announced on Sunday (July 13, 2025) that a detailed contact list and route map of the Nipah victim have been prepared and are awaiting release pending confirmation from the NIV.
As many as 46 people who came in contact with the Nipah-infected person were traced and advised quarantine. Several surveillance camera footages were examined to trace the contacts and to prepare the route map. A family tree of the deceased person too was mapped out.
The Minister said that fieldwork in and around Kumaramputhur was ramped up on Sunday (July 13, 2025) following the Nipah case detection. Fever surveillance is going on, and multiple health worker teams will conduct door-to-door visits to allay fears and provide guidance on precautions against the Nipah virus, which is widely believed to be spreading from fruit-eating bats.
'We will bolster our fight against Nipah by strengthening the health teams involved in it and intensifying preventive measures as soon as we get the final confirmation from NIV, Pune,' said Ms. George.
Ms. George urged the public to refrain from visiting friends and relatives in hospitals in Palakkad and Malappuram districts as a precautionary measure to prevent the potential spread of Nipah.
To minimise the risk of virus transmission, hospitals have been advised to limit the number of bystanders allowed with patients. Patients, bystanders and healthcare staff have been advised to wear masks.
As many as 543 persons across the State, including the 46 contacts of the latest Nipah victim, are currently under observation. When 208 of them are in Malappuram, 219 are in Palakkad, 114 in Kozhikode and two in Ernakulam.
Following the death of a 14-year-old boy after the virus infection at Pandikkad in July 2024, a 24-year-old man at Naduvath, Wandoor (Malappuram) fell victim in September 2024. In May this year, a 42-year-old woman from Valanchery (Malappuram) was affected by Nipah. Although she survived the deadly virus, she is yet to recover. In the first week of this month, an 18-year-old girl from Mankada (Malappuram) died of Nipah, and a 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara (Palakkad) is infected. She is currently battling for life.