Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday, July 20, confirmed that a 14-year-old boy in Malappuram district has tested positive for Nipah virus. Addressing the media, the Minister said that the boy, who is a resident of Pandikkad is in a critical condition and is on life support at a private hospital in Kozhikode.
Although a preliminary test conducted at a laboratory in Kerala indicated that the boy was positive for Nipah, the Health Minister said that they are awaiting final confirmation from the National Institute of Virology-Pune.
The health department has set up a control room in Malappuram to monitor the situation closely. A 30-bed isolation ward has been opened at the government medical college hospital in Manjeri, and all primary, secondary, and high-risk contacts of the boy will be isolated. A lockdown has been imposed in a few wards under Pandikkad panchayat as a precautionary measure.
The health minister assured that all necessary steps have been taken to contain the spread of the virus, even before receiving final confirmation from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. Samples have been sent to NIV for further testing. The Kerala health department is working tirelessly to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure the safety of all citizens.