Kerala: 14-yr-old boy infected with Nipah virus dies in Kozhikode hospital

The 14-year-old boy from Malappuram district, Kerala, who tested positive for Nipah virus, died on Sunday at the government medical college hospital in Kozhikode.

Health Department officials said that he developed a fever 10 days ago and had been on ventilator support since Friday.

After NIV-Pune confirmed the Nipah virus infection on Saturday, the boy was transferred from a private hospital to the Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode.

Monoclonal antibodies for his treatment were expected to arrive in Kozhikode from Pune on Sunday, but he passed away before they arrived. His body will be buried following the protocol for Nipah virus infections.

The Health Department has set up a control room in Malappuram and declared an alert. People are advised to wear masks, and a lockdown has been imposed in certain areas of Pandikkad panchayat, the boy's village.

Health Minister Veena George told PTI on Saturday that four more people have shown Nipah symptoms, with one on life support. Their samples have been sent for testing. Approximately 240 people who were in contact with the boy are now under observation.