Kerala boy dies from Nipah virus, prompting urgent health response

A 14-year-old boy from Mallapuram, Kerala, has died from the Nipah virus, prompting an urgent public health response. He was initially treated for acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Perinthalmanna and later transferred to a higher center in Kozhikode, where he succumbed. The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune confirmed the infection.

The Union health ministry advised Kerala to implement measures like active case searches and contact tracing. The state was instructed to conduct searches within the boy's family, neighborhood, and similar areas, and to trace his contacts from the past 12 days.

Contacts of the boy must be strictly quarantined, and anyone showing symptoms should be isolated. Samples from potential contacts and suspects will be tested to ensure early detection and response.

A joint outbreak response team from the National 'One Health Mission' will support the state in managing the outbreak. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sent monoclonal antibodies, but they couldn't be administered to the boy due to his poor condition. A mobile Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) lab is also in Kozhikode.

Kerala has faced Nipah virus outbreaks before, with the most recent one in 2023. The virus is primarily carried by fruit bats, and humans can get infected through consuming bat-contaminated fruits.