A fresh case of Nipah virus was reported in Kerala on Wednesday after a 40-year-old man tested positive for the disease in a preliminary test conducted in Kozhikode.
Health authorities initiated precautionary measures and began contact tracing following the detection of the case. The patient is currently undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
Officials said the initial test returned positive for Nipah virus, while confirmation from the virology laboratory is still awaited. Despite the pending confirmatory result, state health officials moved swiftly to implement containment protocols to prevent any possible spread of the infection.
The patient's contacts are being identified and monitored as part of the standard public health response.
Nipah virus, which spreads from animals – primarily fruit bats – to humans and can also be transmitted through close human contact, has a high fatality rate and no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Kerala has witnessed outbreaks in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023, with most cases reported from Kozhikode district.
Overall, Kerala recorded 31 Nipah cases and 24 deaths across the four outbreaks between 2018 and 2023. The state has developed a robust surveillance and response system following earlier outbreaks.
