Nipah resurfaces in Malappuram, 42-year-old woman tests positive

Time of India

08-05-2025

Kozhikode: Nipah virus infection has resurfaced in Malappuram after an eight-month gap, with a 42-year-old woman from Valanchery municipality testing positive. The confirmation came from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
The woman, a resident of ward 2 in Valanchery, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Perinthalmanna.Health minister Veena George rushed to the district and chaired a high-level meeting at the collectorate. She said the woman first sought treatment at a private clinic for fever on April 25 and was admitted to the hospital on May 1.All 21 samples taken from seven of her high-risk contacts, including close relatives, have tested negative. The state medical board has recommended administering monoclonal antibodies to the patient upon receiving permission from the hospital ethics committee.A three-kilometre containment zone has been declared around the area where the infection was reported. District collector V R Vinod announced nine wards in four local bodies as containment zones: Wards 1–4 of Valanchery municipality, wards 9, 11, and 12 of Marakkara panchayat, and wards 6 and 17 of Edayur panchayat.Twenty-five committees have been formed to implement the Nipah protocol, with intense contact tracing underway. All identified contacts, whether high or low risk, will be under 21-day observation.Efforts are ongoing to trace the source of the infection. Following reports of a cat's death in the area, the animal husbandry department will test samples. A fever survey will be conducted in the affected municipality and nearby panchayats.The minister advised residents to remain vigilant, wear masks, use sanitizers, and avoid unnecessary hospital visits. Masks and sanitizers will be mandatory at the upcoming "Ente Keralam" exhibition in Kottakkal.The last reported Nipah case in Malappuram was in Sept 2023, when a 24-year-old youth from Thiruvali succumbed to the disease.