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Following the reporting of two “unnatural deaths” in Kozhikode district, the Kerala government has dispatched five samples to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing, aiming to confirm the presence of the lethal Nipah virus. A district-wide health alert was issued on Monday after two deaths were suspected to be linked to Nipah virus infection.
The samples sent for examination at the virology institute include one from the deceased individual and four from their relatives. In a Tuesday Facebook post, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan emphasized the seriousness of the two deaths and noted that the health department had issued a district-wide alert based on suspicion that the Nipah virus may have caused them. He assured that there is no cause for alarm, as most of those in close contact with the deceased are currently receiving treatment.
Earlier in the day, State Health Minister Veena George arrived in the district and presided over a high-level meeting to assess the situation. She informed the media that the government was taking all necessary precautions in the event that the results confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus. She also stated that contact tracing of the deceased individuals has been initiated to identify high-risk contacts.
“At this moment, we have taken all the precautionary steps based on suspicion that the death may be due to Nipah virus. We have conducted preliminary tests here. But it can be confirmed only after the samples are tested at Pune NIV,” she said.
She further mentioned that the initial death occurred at a private hospital and that the victim’s children, brother, and other relatives are currently receiving treatment for fever. The minister added that numerous individuals visited the hospital and contact tracing has commenced. The Health department has issued instructions to establish an isolation center at Kozhikode Medical College hospital and to adjust human resources accordingly.
Deaths attributable to Nipah virus infection were previously recorded in Kozhikode district in 2018 and 2021. The first Nipah virus outbreak in South India was reported in Kozhikode on May 19, 2018. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness transmitted from animals to humans. It can also spread through contaminated food or directly from person to person.
In infected individuals, it can lead to a range of illnesses, from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals, particularly pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers, according to the WHO.
