Palakkad, 14 July

A 57-year-old man from Palakkad district in Kerala, who died on 12 July, is suspected to have been infected with the Nipah virus, prompting the government to ramp up contact tracing and field-level surveillance in the area.

The man had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in this northern district.

His samples were tested at Manjeri Medical College, where the result came back positive for Nipah, Health Minister Veena George said in a statement.

She added that the government is awaiting confirmation from the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

This is the second Nipah-related death reported in Kerala in recent days.

A native of Malappuram had recently died from the infection, while another patient from Palakkad district remains hospitalised.

In response to the fresh suspected case, the government has ramped up contact tracing and field-level surveillance in the area.

A list of 46 people who came into contact with the patient has been drawn up.

CCTV footage and mobile tower location data have been used to help identify those on the contact list.

A detailed route map of the patient's recent movements has been prepared, along with a family tree to trace close contacts.

Health teams are now carrying out fever surveillance in the region to detect any possible symptoms in others.

"Field teams have been strengthened, and all available data is being used to monitor the situation," George said.

Further steps will be taken once confirmation is received from the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

The minister has also instructed officials to step up the response team, considering the seriousness of the case.

Authorities have urged people in Palakkad and Malappuram districts to avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, especially under the current circumstances.

Visits to friends or relatives receiving treatment should be strictly limited, officials said. Only one person is allowed to accompany a patient as an attendant.

Both healthcare workers and those coming to the hospital, including patients and their companions, are required to wear masks at all times, an official release said.

Meanwhile, the health minister also issued a Nipah alert to hospitals across six districts.

The advisory has been sent to medical facilities in Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad, and Thrissur. Hospitals have been directed to report any patients presenting with fever and symptoms resembling Nipah, including encephalitis and high-grade fever, the minister's office said.

According to the WHO, Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that spreads from animals to humans and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or via direct human-to-human contact.

The Nipah virus contact list now includes a total of 543 people. Of these, 46 individuals are linked to the newly confirmed case, it said.