Kozhikode: A 12-year-old boy died due to Nipah virus infection at a hospital here, state Health Minister Veena George confirmed on Sunday. Pune National Institute of Virology, which tested the boy's samples for Nipah, confirmed the presence of the virus. Incidentally, South India's first case of Nipah virus (NiV) was reported from the same district in May, 2018.
"Unfortunately, the boy passed away, at 5 am. His condition was critical last night. We formed various teams in the night to trace the contacts and the teams have begun their work. Steps have been taken to isolate those who are the primary contacts of the boy," the minister told the media. "As of now, there is no need to panic, but we need to exercise caution. Till now, no one from the family or other contacts of the 12-year-old has any symptoms. I am going to Kozhikode today, I will be joined by minister PA Mohammed Riyas," she added. Veena, however, said there was no need to panic.
Soon after reports confirmed that the boy died of Nipah virus, local authorities geared up to check any further spread of the dreaded virus in Kozhikode and surrounding areas. The Kozhikode Medical College Hospital has opened an exclusive Nipah ward to cater to any possible outbreak of the virus.
The authorities declared a health alert in the district and cordoned off about three kilometres around the house of the deceased boy. Pazhoor (Ward-9) of Chathamangalam panchayat was fully closed and nearby wards of Nayarkuzhy, Koolimad, Puthiyadam wards were partially closed, sources said, adding that police had been deployed to restrict movement of vehicles and people. The locals have also been alerted to report any instances of fever, vomiting and other health disorders.
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Following this case, the central government has rushed a National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) team to the state to provide technical support. The team will arrive today. The Centre has also advised immediate public health measures that include active case search in the family, village and areas with similar topography, especially Malappuram; tracing people whom the boy came in contact with, in the last 12 days; strict quarantine of those contacts and isolation of the suspects; and collection and transportation of samples for lab testing.
In India, the first outbreak was reported from Siliguri, West Bengal, in 2001. The second case was reported from Nadia district in West Bengal in 2007. Scientists back then had found that the two deceased had contracted the disease by drinking raw date palm sap tapped directly from trees. When the virus first broke in Kerala in 2018, as many as 18 people had died in two months. In 2019, the disease was detected in Kochi, another district in Kerala, but did not spread.
The fatal Nipah virus usually spreads from animal to animal but in some rare cases, it also spreads from animal to humans. The infected people initially develop influenza-like symptoms of fever, headache, myalgia, vomiting and sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. Some people may also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress. Encephalitis and seizures occur in severe cases, progressing to coma within 24-48 hours.
