Three nipah virus cases reported in Kerala in 2025, 677 contacts were traced: Govt tells LS
Three cases of
Nipah virus
infection have been reported in Malappuram and Palakkad district in Kerala in 2025 and 677 contacts have been traced, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Lok Sabha on Friday.
Control measures have been initiated and steps have been taken by the government to contain Nipah outbreaks, Jadhav said in a written reply.
The infection is an emerging zoonotic infectious disease caused by Nipah virus (NiV). It mainly affects pigs and humans. Nipah cases in humans tend to occur in a cluster or as an outbreak, especially among close contacts and caregivers, Jadhav explained.
The natural host of the virus is believed to be Pteropid fruit bats (flying foxes).
According to the information available fruit bats play a significant role in the transmission of this disease.
The minister said the NiV infection closely follows the spill over of pathogen from fruit bats to intermediate hosts or human beings.
In India, the majority of the infections coincide with palm date sap collection times. Due to this, Nipah cases occurs again and again at some areas, Jadhav said.
Listing the control measures initiated to contain Nipah disease outbreaks, Jadhav said that through surveillance mechanism early warning signals are captured to generate alerts, outbreaks in the early rising phase are detected and outbreak investigations are conducted and timely appropriate measures are undertaken by the respective public health agencies to control and prevent the further spread of the disease.
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A National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT), comprising of experts from Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Forest and Wildlife and human health, and bat survey team are deployed for comprehensive assessment and review of these outbreaks.
Malappuram and Palakkad, with Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Wayanad districts were placed on alert. Whole genome sequencing was performed on clinical specimens from all positive cases, Jadhav said.
This genomic surveillance aids in understanding the circulating Nipah virus strain, which belong to similar genotypes of 2019 and 2021 outbreaks in Kerala, he informed.
Beyond the immediate outbreak response, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) maintained continued support and collaborative engagement with both Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) throughout the year, ensuring training, a steady supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and diagnostic reagents.
This sustained effort underscores a commitment to strengthening regional capacities for infectious disease preparedness and response, Jadhav stated.
He said the state and central government health officials worked to enhance public and healthcare professional awareness regarding Nipah virus disease.
These initiatives ensured that individuals were made aware on the signs and symptoms of the disease and understood the appropriate actions to take if they suspected an infection in themselves or others, the minister added.
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) under the MoHFW mandates surveillance and response to outbreak prone communicable diseases. The IDSP is implemented in all 36 states and Union territories, Jadhav said.
The programme is responsible for the surveillance of 50 plus epidemic prone diseases and outbreak investigation and plays a crucial role in prompt response and surveillance of emerging and re-emerging diseases, including Nipah virus disease in the country.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, have strengthened Nipah surveillance by enhancing Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Kerala and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) surveillance in West Bengal and Kerala since October-November 2024, he said.
A comprehensive guideline on Nipah virus has been prepared, and under National One Health Programme for Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases (NOHP-PCZ), various initiatives are taken to strengthen prevention, detection, and response capacities for zoonotic diseases in India, including NiV.
Zoonosis committee have been formed in all states and UTs to review status of all zoonotic diseases, including Nipah virus, Jadhav stated.
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