Health officials in Kerala, India, have issued alerts in three northern districts – Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad – following the detection of two suspected cases of Nipah virus. Routine surveillance at government medical colleges in Kozhikode and Malappuram flagged the possible cases. Samples from the patients have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for confirmation.
The suspected cases include an 18-year-old girl who succumbed to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Kozhikode and a 38-year-old woman undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna in the Malappuram district. The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, has confirmed Nipah infection in the 38-year-old woman. The final result of the deceased girl is awaited.
In Palakkad, health authorities have been placed on high alert after a 39-year-old woman from Kizhakkumpuram in the Thachanattukara grama panchayat was admitted to a private hospital in Perinthalmanna with suspected Nipah virus infection. The woman is currently on ventilator support and is reported to be in critical condition, according to officials at the Palakkad District Medical Office (DMO). Preliminary tests suggest a possible Nipah virus infection. The final test results are expected on Friday. The woman initially sought treatment for high fever and cold at a local clinic on June 26. She was later admitted to a nearby nursing home for two days before being shifted to the private hospital on June 30, after her condition worsened.
Kerala's health minister Veena George convened an emergency meeting to assess the situation and confirmed that Nipah protocols have been activated in the affected districts. Twenty-six special teams have been formed in each district to carry out contact tracing, monitor symptoms, and inform the public. Police assistance has been sought to help identify individuals who may have come into contact with the suspected patients, while containment zones are being prepared under the supervision of district collectors. Officials are also scanning local records for any unnatural or unexplained deaths in recent weeks. Helplines are being set up to assist the public, and awareness campaigns are being rolled out across the three districts. Loudspeaker announcements and media outreach are being used to share information about symptoms and preventive steps.
Following the girl's positive test for Nipah virus, the doctors and healthcare personnel who treated her as well as those who conducted her post-mortem examination have been quarantined.
Health officials have noted a significant presence of bats in the vicinity of the woman's home in Palakkad, raising suspicions of a zoonotic transmission. The health department has started contact tracing and is monitoring all individuals who may have interacted with her.
Kerala has witnessed multiple outbreaks of the Nipah virus in recent years, most notably in 2018 and 2021, both of which led to fatalities and large-scale containment efforts. In the first week of May, a 42-year-old woman from Valanchery in the Malappuram district tested positive and was admitted to a private hospital at Perinthalmanna. Although she survived the deadly virus, she is still recovering.
