Nipah Threat
The recent death of a 24-year-old student in Kerala due to the Nipah virus is a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by zoonotic diseases.
A suspected Nipah death was reported from Chembaram near Naduvath in Wandoor in Kerala’s Malappuram district on Saturday.
The test result of a 23-year-old youth, who died at a private hospital at Perinthalmanna on Monday last, was found positive for Nipah.
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The youth, a student in Bengaluru, had been admitted at Perinthalmanna hospital with jaundice symptoms. His blood sample tested at Government Medical College, Kozhikode, found him positive for Nipah virus.
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However, the Health Department is awaiting results from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for final confirmation.
The youth’s death is the second fatal case suspected of being caused by Nipah this year. Earlier, a boy from Pandikkad in Malappuram district succumbed to the virus on July 21.
Nipah outbreaks have previously been reported in Kozhikode in 2018, 2021, and 2023, and in Ernakulam in 2019. In 2018, at least 17 people from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts died due to the Nipah virus.
Antibodies of the virus have been detected in bats in multiple districts, including Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam.
The Nipah virus, transmitted from animals to humans, can lead to severe illness and fatalities.
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