Nipah virus confirmed in bat samples in Kerala, 14-year-old teenager died due to infection

The risk of serious Nipah infection seems to be increasing once again in Kerala. Nipah virus has been confirmed in bat samples collected in Malappuram district of Kerala. A 14-year-old teenager died due to Nipah infection on 21 June in Malappuram district. The teenager was being treated at Kozhikode Medical College. The National Institute of Virology, Pune, confirmed Nipah infection in the teenager. The teenager was having difficulty breathing and was then put on a ventilator.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George says that samples of bats were collected from 27 fruit bats. These samples were collected from a radius of five kilometers. Nipah virus has been confirmed in six of these samples. Veena George further said that samples of all the people who came in contact with the infected teenager have also been tested. At present, infection has not been confirmed in anyone. He further said that a total of 472 people came in contact with the teenager infected with the Nipah virus. Of these, 261 people remained in isolation for 21 days. Now the names of these people have been removed from the list. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if someone is experiencing symptoms of infection for 3-5 days and is not getting cured with normal treatment, then it needs to be taken seriously. Since there is no vaccine to prevent it, it is important to increase awareness about reducing infection. Regular cleaning of hands, cleaning fruits and vegetables properly, and avoiding travel to affected areas can be ways to reduce the risk of Nipah. Along with Kerala, neighboring states also need to remain alert.