Kerala man dies of Nipah virus; 151 contacts isolated

A 24-year-old man in Kerala’s Malappuram died due to Nipah virus, state Health Minister Veena George said on Sunday. The man died at a private hospital yesterday.
The District Medical Officer immediately sent the available samples to Kozhikode Medical College for testing, which came out to be positive for encephalitis.
Following this, Health Minister Veena George called an emergency meeting and instructed authorities to take all the steps as per the protocol. Additionally, the samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, which also confirmed Nipah infection.
The 24-year-old was a student in Bengaluru and came in contact with several people. So far, 151 people have been identified as primary contacts.
The man sought treatment at four private hospitals and had travelled with friends, whose details have been collected. Those who came in direct contact with him have been isolated, the Health Minister said.
Five people in isolation have developed mild symptoms, and their samples have also been sent for testing.
The Health Minister assured that the health department is taking early detection and treatment measures to save lives and prevent further infections.