Following the death of a 14-year-old boy from Mallapuram district of Kerala, who tested positive for Nipah virus on Sunday, the Centre has rushed a "One Health" outbreak multi-member response team to investigate the case. The boy had fever and showed symptoms of acute encephalitis syndrome - inflammation and swelling of the brain usually due to an infection. He has been on a ventilator since Friday.
The team from the Union Health Ministry will identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical assistance to the State.
The Centre has urged the State to carry out active search for Nipah virus cases in the family of the boy, neighbouring areas, and areas with similar topography.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry said the from the district exhibited the acute encephalitis syndrome and was admitted to a healthcare facility in Perinthalmanna before being transferred to a higher health centre in Kozhikode.
He succumbed to the disease and samples were sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology, which confirmed Nipah virus infection, it said. State Health Minister Veena George said the boy from Pandikkad suffered a massive cardiac arrest at 10.50 am on Sunday and efforts to revive him failed.
"He was on ventilator support. The urine output had reduced this morning. After a massive cardiac arrest, the revival efforts failed and he passed away at 11.30 am," George said.
The Minister said the funeral will be held following international protocols.
"Further matters on the funeral will be decided only after the district Collector holds discussion with the boy's parents and the family," George said.
Kerala has had a number of Nipah outbreaks since 2018 when 17 of 18 infected persons had died while one death was reported in 2021, and two in 2023.
With the death of the 14-year-old on Sunday, the total number of deaths due to Nipah in Kerala since 2018 has gone up to 21.
Following the death of the teenager, Kerala Government has also been asked to trace all contacts of the boy over the last 12 days.
Strict quarantine of the contacts and isolation of those suspected to have the infection has been advised. Samples for the contacts
and suspected cases have to be sent for laboratory testing.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), on the state's request, sent monoclonal antibodies against the infection to the state. While the monoclonal antibodies had reached before the death, it could not be used because of
the poor general condition of the boy, according to a statement by the union health ministry.
Fruit bats are the usual reservoir of the virus, and humans can become infected by accidentally consuming bat-contaminated fruits.
Nipah is a viral infection that mainly affects animals such as bats, pigs, dogs, and horses, but can jump to humans who come in contact with infected animals and cause serious illness. The Centre has advised the state to immediately implement public health measures such as active case search in the boy's family and his neighbourhood, and in areas with similar topography of the place the case was detected.
