NEW DELHI: Nipah virus has been detected in Kozhikode district of Kerala. A suspected case of NIPAH, a 12 yr old boy who presented with features of encephalitis and myocarditis was reported on 3rd September, 2021 from Kozhikode district of Kerala.
The virus is spread by saliva of fruit bats. The boy was hospitalized and has passed away today morning.
The Central Government has rushed a team of NCDC to the State, which will be reaching today. The team will provide technical support to the State. The following immediate public health measures have been advised by the Centre:
1. Active case search in the family, families, village and areas with similar topography (especially Malappuram).
2. Active contact tracing (for any contacts) during past 12 days.
3. Strict quarantine of the contacts and isolation of any suspects.
4. Collection and transportation of samples for lab testing.
It may be recalled that in 2018 also, there was a Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala.
