13 Contacts Test Negative for Nipah in Kerala

13 contacts tested negative for Nipah

On Tuesday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced that 13 individuals who were in contact with a 24-year-old man who recently died from the Nipah virus in Malappuram district have tested negative for the disease. Out of the 175 people on the contact list of the deceased, the samples of these 13 high-risk individuals were tested at the Manjeri Government Medical College in Malappuram and returned negative results, according to the minister.

The minister stated that the health department is working diligently to prevent the spread of the disease by identifying as many contacts of the affected individual as possible and providing them with preventive medication.

She added that samples from individuals in high-risk categories and those exhibiting symptoms are being collected and sent for testing, with additional samples expected to be gathered today.

Although the likelihood of disease spread is considered low, the minister emphasized that samples from anyone showing symptoms will be tested.

She also mentioned that the state health department is in ongoing communication with the central government and health officials in Karnataka, where the deceased man was studying.

Contacts of the deceased, including classmates and friends, have been traced with the help of these agencies.

Restrictions in the containment zones will remain in place according to protocol. The Kerala government has established containment zones in Malappuram following the recent Nipah infection death, with five wards in two panchayats being designated as such. Large gatherings in these areas have been prohibited.

District authorities have instructed that shops in the containment zones close by 7 PM. Additionally, cinema halls, schools, colleges, madrassas, anganwadis, and tuition centers in these areas will remain closed.

In Malappuram district, partial restrictions have been implemented. People are advised to wear masks in public, and there are limits on the number of attendees at weddings, funerals, and other events.

The 24-year-old man who died on September 9 was infected with the Nipah virus.

Nipah outbreaks have previously occurred in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021, and 2023, and in Ernakulam district in 2019. Nipah virus antibodies have been found in bats across Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, and Ernakulam districts.