The number of people at risk for contracting Nipah in the contact list of the 14-year-old boy who lost his life to the rare infection, has been increased to 350, out of which 101 are in the high-risk category, Health Minister Veena George said on Monday.

The Kerala Health Department is waiting for the test results of 13 people, whose samples were sent to the Kozhikode Medical College virology laboratory and the Advanced Virology Institute at Thiruvananthapuram for testing. “Out of the samples sent for testing, six of the persons have symptoms. Three of them are on the secondary contact list. Even though the parents of the deceased boy do not have symptoms, we have sent their samples also for testing to rule out all possibilities,” she said.

The health department said two of the persons on the contact list are from Palakkad, while four are from Thiruvananthapuram. The two from Palakkad are working in a private hospital, while the four from Thiruvananthapuram have reached Perinthalmanna for treatment. The minister added that the friends of the deceased child have informed them that he had consumed a fruit from a nearby property in Pandikkad panchayat, where the presence of bats has been detected.

The 14-year-old boy from Kerala’s Malappuram who was under treatment here for Nipah infection died on Sunday morning.

Minister George said counselling will be given to the friends of the deceased child to help them cope with his loss, and that their classes will be held online.