Kerala Health Minister Beena George on Sunday said a 24-year-old man who died recently at a private hospital in Malappuram had been infected with the Nipah virus.
George said the suspicion of Nipah virus infection arose following an investigation into the death by the district medical officer.
“The available samples were immediately sent for testing and were found positive,” the minister said in a video message.
The man, from Malappuram, who arrived in the state from Bengaluru, died on September 9, following which his samples were sent to the Kozhikode Medical College and Hospital laboratory for testing.
Malappuram health authorities said the test results from Kozhikode Medical College had come back positive following which a high-level meeting was held by the Health Minister on Saturday evening and necessary steps were initiated as per regulations.
Meanwhile, test results released by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune on Sunday confirmed the infection.
The minister said 16 committees had been formed on Saturday night and a contact list of 151 people had been identified.
The man had travelled to various places with friends and his close contacts have been quarantined.
“Five people in quarantine showed mild fever and symptoms and their samples have been sent for testing,” the minister said.
A boy from Malappuram, who was being treated for Nipah virus infection, died on July 21. This was the first confirmed case of Nipah virus infection in the state this year.
Nipah virus outbreaks have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021 and 2023 and Ernakulam district in 2019, and presence of Nipah virus antibodies has been detected in bats from Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
