A 42-year-old woman from Valanchery in Kerala’s Malappuram district has been confirmed to have contracted the Nipah virus. She is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna.
The woman had been experiencing fever for the past week and developed symptoms such as cough and breathing difficulties, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said.
Suspecting a possible Nipah infection, her samples were sent to the virology laboratory in Pune, which confirmed the virus. Additionally, 21 samples from seven individuals identified as high-risk contacts were tested, all of which were negative.
Health Minister Veena George convened a high-level meeting with health officials and the district administration in Malappuram to assess the situation. Malappuram District Collector V.R. Vinod has declared four divisions in the Valanchery municipality and five wards in the Marakkara, Edayoor, and Athavanad panchayats as containment zones within a three-kilometre radius of the affected area, Onmanorama reported.
Nipah virus is transmitted from animals to humans, often via fruit bats. First reported in 2018 in Kerala, the zoonotic virus causes severe respiratory illness and brain inflammation, with a high fatality rate. There is currently no licensed vaccine to prevent Nipah virus infection in humans. Hence, early detection and containment is critical.
