Nipah outbreak in Kerala: Two cases detected, three districts on alert

Common symptoms of Nipah virus include fever, headache, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. Cough, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and blurred vision can also occur in rare cases.

Nipah in Kerala

Image Credit: Asianet News

Palakkad/Malappuram: Two cases of Nipah virus have been detected in Kerala, and control measures have been ramped up in three districts – Malappuram, Kozhikkode and Palakkad. The first case is that of a 38-year-old woman, who tested positive for the virus after results were sent to the Pune Virology Lab. Over 100 people on the patient's contact list are in the high-risk category.

The woman is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna. She started experiencing fever 20 days ago and sought treatment at three different locations, including a clinic near her home. She lives with her children, while her husband, who works abroad, has now returned home. Since the surrounding houses are mostly family homes, the contact list is expected to be extensive. Currently, no one on the woman's contact list is undergoing treatment, and her three children show no symptoms. Family members, neighbors, and local residents are also included in the high-risk list.

Before being admitted to the private hospital in Perinthalmanna, the woman sought treatment at private clinics in Mannarkkad, Palode, and Karingallathani. A 3-kilometer radius around Nattukkal Kizhakumparam has been declared a containment zone. The second case is that of a child, who recently died. Postmortem report revealed that the child was infected with Nipah virus.  

Nipah Virus Precautions

Nipah virus, belonging to the Henipavirus genus of the Paramyxoviridae family, is typically transmitted between animals. However, it can also spread to humans from infected bats or pigs, and from human to human. Common symptoms include fever, headache, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. Cough, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and blurred vision can also occur in rare cases. Loss of consciousness and coma can develop within one or two days of the onset of symptoms. Encephalitis, affecting the brain, is also a possibility.