A reason behind the recent death of a man at a private hospital in Kerala's Malappuram has turned out to be Nipah virus, said state Health Minister Veena George on Sunday, adding that necessary steps as per protocol have been initiated.
The 24-year-old man, a native of Malappuram, had died on September 9 after reaching Kerala from Karnataka's Bengaluru. After his death, his available samples were sent for testing to the Kozhikode Medical college hospital laboratory.
Veena George said the suspicion of Nipah infection arose after a death investigation conducted by the Regional Medical Officer, according to a news agency PTI report. The results from National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune on Sunday confirmed the infection.
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 she initiated the necessary steps as per the protocol.
George said 16 committees were formed on Saturday night itself and a contact list of 151 people has been identified, adding that the man had travelled with his friends to various places and the close contacts had been isolated.
"Minor fever and symptoms were found in five of those under isolation and their samples have been sent for testing," the minister said.
A boy from Malappuram, who was undergoing treatment for Nipah infection, died on July 21. It was the first confirmed case of Nipah infection in the state this year.
Nipah infections have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021 and 2023 and in Ernakulam district in 2019, and the presence of Nipah virus antibodies had been detected in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
