Keralam has reported a case of Nipah virus, with the patient currently receiving ventilator support, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan announced on Thursday.
While preliminary tests have returned positive, confirmation from the Virology Institute is still awaited.
“The results are positive. Test results from the Virology Institute are awaited,” Muraleedharan told reporters.
The patient was initially admitted to Crescent Hospital in Calicut with a high fever before being transferred to another medical facility. Due to persistent fever, the hospital suspected Nipah virus infection. The patient has had contact with 77 individuals, including 58 healthcare workers, 14 family members, and 5 friends. None of these contacts are showing symptoms at present, according to the minister.
Muraleedharan urged the public to exercise caution during the May to September period, which is considered high risk for Nipah transmission. “May to September is a dangerous time period- don’t try to touch or provoke Bats during this time. If you see them, alert the authorities. We are working on how to prevent Nipah cases,” he added.
Following the confirmation of the case, a Nipah Isolation Ward has been established at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital.
In February, a nurse infected with Nipah virus died of cardiac arrest in West Bengal, marking the first fatality from the virus in the decade, according to the state health department.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease primarily transmitted through contact with fruit bats or infected bodily fluids, and it can spread from person to person through close contact.
Separately, the Health Minister provided an update on Shigella infections in the state, reporting 20 confirmed cases. The administration is monitoring the situation closely and has ordered the closure of certain local restaurants operating in unsanitary conditions.
“Total 20 persons have been reported positive for Shigella. The situation is under control. Some local restaurants which are operating in very dirty conditions must be closed. We have given instructions to this effect,” Muraleedharan said.
Previously, Keralam Minister T Siddique stated that the Shigella outbreak remains “under control,” with management steps underway following confirmation that two schoolchildren in Wayanad tested positive for Shigellosis. The affected children are a four-and-a-half-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl.
Health authorities reported 339 individuals exhibiting symptoms associated with Shigella infection, of whom 21 are receiving treatment at Sultan Bathery Taluk Headquarters Hospital and 38 at private hospitals. Officials confirmed that none of the patients are currently in serious condition.