Nipah virus alert: Kerala notifies 175 people in Malappuram, including 74 medical workers at risk

Kerala Health Minister Veena George revealed that a total of 175 people in the Malappuram district have been exposed to the Nipah virus with 74 of them being medical professionals.

There are 126 individuals on the principal contact list, 104 of whom are deemed high-risk. Another 49 falls within the secondary contact category.

Manjeri Medical College Hospital is presently providing medical care to 10 people on the list. The Ministry of Health added that 13 people who underwent testing have been tested negative.

On Sep 9, a 24-year-old man died after contracting the Nipah virus. The state, which has battled with many Nipah virus outbreaks since 2018, reported its first death this year from the infection on July 21.

Bats in the districts of Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, and Ernakulam have been shown to harbor antibodies against the Nipah virus. Fruit bats are the virus' natural hosts and can transfer it to people, which opens the door to person-to-person transmission.

State health minister Veena George has also designated five wards in the Malappuram district as containment zones in an effort to stop the virus's possible spread.

Every store in these areas will close by 7 pm, and places where people gather — like movie theaters, tuition centers, schools, colleges, madrassas, and anganwadis — shall stay closed.

Directives have also been given to the public, advising them to wear masks in public or not to congregate in big groups.

Restrictions on the number of attendees at weddings, funerals, and other celebrations have also been declared in the Malappuram district.

According to the World Health Organization, Nipah virus infection is a "zoonotic illness" that spreads from animals such as pigs and fruit bats to people. The WHO has classified the virus as a priority disease due to its potential to trigger an epidemic.

It can also be transmitted through contaminated food and contact with the infected person. People infected with the virus may experience no symptoms at all, while others may exhibit

acute respiratory problems. In severe situations, a Nipah infection can cause fatal encephalitis, a dangerous neurological disorder.

The symptoms of the infection include fever, headache, drowsiness, respiratory illness, vomiting, disorientation, and mental confusion. These signs and symptoms can lead to a coma within 24–48 hours.

The rate of death among people infected with the virus is high, as there is no treatment or vaccine to cure it. The treatment is confined to managing symptoms and providing supportive care.

Avoiding contact with sick pigs and bats in endemic areas, as well as not drinking raw date palm sap, can help prevent Nipah virus infections. There are no vaccines for humans or animals.

Since its initial revelation in 2018, the virus has been linked to dozens of deaths in Kerala state. In 2018, 17 of the 18 affected people died. One death was reported in 2021, while two in 2023.

The death of the 14-year-old boy this year brought the overall number of Nipah-case deaths in Kerala to 21 since 2018.

Lini Puthussery, a 28-year-old nurse from Kozhikode's Perambra Taluk Hospital who died in 2019 after treating the virus's first victim was hailed as a hero.

Lini was treating a family of three who were diagnosed with the virus and she was said to have spent the entire night caring for them.

The infection was initially discovered in 1999 following an outbreak of encephalitis and respiratory illness among pig farmers and people who had direct contact with pigs in Malaysia and Singapore.

The outbreak resulted in about 300 human cases and over 100 deaths. To put an end to it, over a million pigs were slaughtered, resulting in a massive trade loss for Malaysia.