Nipah outbreak in Kerala? All you need to know as govt confirms infection in 14-year-old boy

Kerala remains braced for a Nipah outbreak after a 14-year-old boy tested positive in Malappuram district. The development was confirmed by Health Minister Veena George on Saturday as officials initiated precautionary measures in the area. People have been asked to wear masks in public spaces and avoid visiting patients in hospitals as the state waits for a monoclonal antibody to arrive on Sunday.

"He will be shifted to the government medical college at Kozhikode. The contact tracing has begun. High-risk contacts have already been isolated and their samples have been sent for testing," George said.

The official said that the epicentre lay within the Pandikkad region of the district. The boy is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in neighbouring Kozhikode and remains on ventilator support.

The southern state has seen numerous Nipah outbreaks in recent years — including an outbreak in August 2023 that claimed two lives and affected four other people.

The deadly virus can be transmitted from animals to humans (or between humans) as well as through contaminated food. It can cause a range of symptoms including acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis. According to the World Health Organisation, Nipah virus can have a case fatality rate between 40% and 75% depending on the clinical management. There is presently no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals, and the only option remains supportive care.

India had procured monoclonal antibodies from Australia last year in the midst of another Nipah outbreak. These are currently stored at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The laboratory-made proteins had successfully neutralised Hendra and Nipah viruses during phase-one clinical trials. The drug is currently used on a 'compassionate' basis — usage of an unauthorised medicine when no other suitable alternative is present.

George said on Saturday that a 24-hour control room with a call centre has been opened at Malappuram. The Health department has also set up 30 isolation rooms and a six-bed ICU at the Manjeri medical college and have isolated all those who have come into contact with the infected boy.

Samples tested at the laboratories in Kerala have returned positive and the government is now awaiting a detailed confirmation from the virology institute in Pune.

(With inputs from agencies)