Authorities are on high alert after a 14-year-old boy died of Nipah virus

Officials in the southern state of KeralaIndiaAfter the death of a 14-year-old boy infected with Nipah virus, identify 60 people in that category and take preventive measures. “Pollution at high risk”The state health minister said on Sunday (July 21).

A study conducted by Reuters last year showed that parts of Kerala are at risk of the virus spreading globally. Nipah virus, which originates from animals such as fruit bats and pigs, can cause a fatal fever in humans that causes brain damage.

Infection is possible

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers Nipah as a primary pathogen due to its potential for infection. There is no vaccine to prevent the infection or treatment to cure it. “Sick boy dies of heart attack on Sunday”State Health Minister Veena George told local TV reporters.

Earlier, in a statement he issued on Saturday, the government had ordered the formation of 25 teams to identify and isolate victims as part of the fight against Nipah.
Dr. Anoop Kumar, director of intensive care at Aster MIMS Hospital, Kozhikode, said that the school student has been diagnosed with Nipah and his contacts are being monitored. “At this stage, the risk of Nipah virus transmission is low”, the situation will be monitored for the next 7 to 10 days, he said. The child’s contact case list has 214 people, the press release said.

Of them, 60 are in the high-risk category, and isolation rooms have been set up in health facilities to treat patients. After the Nipah virus was confirmed in Malappuram, about 350 km from Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, family members of the affected patient were kept under observation at a local hospital, according to local media. Others at risk have been asked to self-isolate at home.

The state government has said that it is working to trace all the infected people to prevent the spread of the virus. Nipah has been linked to dozens of deaths since its first appearance in Kerala in 2018. The virus was first detected in Malaysia 25 years ago and has led to outbreaks in Bangladesh, India and Singapore.