Kerala Woman Tests Positive for Nipah Virus; Suspected Case Under Watch in Malappuram

A 38-year-old woman from Nattukkal in Kerala's Palakkad district has tested positive for the Nipah virus, health officials confirmed on Friday. She is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna, located in the neighbouring Malappuram district.

Authorities are also awaiting test results for a suspected Nipah case from Malappuram. The confirmed patient’s samples were tested at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, which returned a positive result.

“The district collector has confirmed that the woman has tested positive for Nipah,” said Muhammed Saleem KP, president of the local panchayat. He added that containment measures are already in place. “Ward number 8 has been declared a containment zone, along with parts of nearby wards within a three-kilometre radius,” he said.

Health officials have begun contact tracing and identified at least 100 individuals who may have come into close contact with the patient before her diagnosis. Surveillance has been heightened, and movement restrictions are being enforced in the affected areas.

State Health Minister Veena George said that Nipah virus protocols had already been activated in Malappuram, Palakkad, and Kozhikode, even before the test results were confirmed. “Twenty-six teams have been deployed in each district to trace contacts, monitor symptoms among quarantined individuals, and ensure timely public communication,” she said.

Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals such as fruit bats and pigs to humans. WHO has classified Nipah as a priority pathogen due to its potential to spark outbreaks. The mortality is rate high, with deaths occurring in 40% to 75% of cases, and causes severe illness, including acute fever and inflammation of the brain.

There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment available. Fever, headaches, coughing, sore throats, vomiting, and neurological symptoms like confusion are common symptoms.