Indian state on alert after 14-year-old boy dies from deadly Nipah infection

Seven people are in isolation wards in two Kerala hospitals awaiting test results

Indian authorities have issued an alert after a 14-year-old boy died from infection by the deadly Nipah virus in the southern state of Kerala.

Nipah is zoonotic, meaning that it is passed to humans from animals such as pigs and fruit bats, and can cause a lethal brain-swelling fever. The incubation period ranges from four to 14 days.

The victim was on a ventilator at a hospital in Malappuram and suffered a heart attack at around 10.50am local time on Sunday.

“The boy was in an unconscious state. His urine output was very low. He suffered a massive cardiac arrest," said state health minister Veena George. “Doctors tried their level best to save the boy but he unfortunately passed away.”

The National Institute of Virology in Pune had confirmed that the boy was infected by Nipah, Ms George said.

Nipah is classified as a “priority pathogen” by the World Health Organization because of its potential to trigger an epidemic. There is no vaccine to prevent infection and no cure.

The virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in Kerala since its first appeared in the coastal state in 2018. The virus was first identified 25 years ago in Malaysia and has led to outbreaks in Bangladesh, India and Singapore.

The symptoms include intense fever, vomiting, respiratory infection, and, in severe cases, brain inflammation and seizures resulting in coma.

The boy’s funeral will be conducted in compliance with the international protocol around virus outbreak, the health minister said. “We will discuss with the family members of the boy to finalise the formalities related to the funeral,” Ms George said.

The Kerala government has formed 25 committees to identify and isolate any affected people.

“Contact tracing has begun. High-risk contacts have been isolated and their samples have been sent for testing,” the health minister said, according to the Press Trust of India.

She said at least three people are in isolation at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital and four at Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital.

“Of the four individuals in Manjeri GMCH, one person is in the intensive care unit. The results of the samples taken from them will be received soon. They all have viral fever. However, there’s no need to panic and people in the contact list should not be worried," she said.

A total of 246 people are in the Nipah contact list in Malappuram, 63 of them in the high-risk category.

"A mobile testing lab from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, will reach the district today,” the minister was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

Authorities have urged people in the suspected epicentre to wear masks as a precaution and avoid hospitals, the Hindustan Times reported.

"A three-km radius from the epicentre of Pandikkad locality will be strictly observed and restrictions will be imposed,” Ms George said.

Authorities have also warned people against eating fruits that are half-eaten or bitten by birds or animals.

"Eat fruits only after washing them properly. Do not consume beverages such as toddy which are stored in open containers.”