Health authorities in India’s Kerala State have announced safety regulations for millions after a 14-year-old boy died from Nipah virus over the weekend.
A total of 406 people have been identified as contacts to the boy, who passed away on Sunday morning in the town of Pandikkad, with 140 of them in the high-risk category.
The Kerala Health Department has ordered those in the Malappuram district to wear face masks in public, minimise social gatherings, and avoid consuming fruit bitten by animals such as bats and birds.
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Schools have been shut down and business hours limited in Pandikkad and the nearby area Anakkayam to prevent the spread of disease.
What is the Nipah virus?
Nipah is a zoonotic virus transmitted to humans from certain animals and contaminated fruit and vegetables, particularly fruit bats, as well as other infected humans.
Symptoms include a fever, headaches, muscle pain, sore throat, drowsiness, dizziness, and vomiting.
There is currently no treatment or vaccine for the virus.
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The teenager, who passed away after going into cardiac arrest, had allegedly consumed fruit from a property in the town visited by bats.
The Kerala Health Department is awaiting test results for 13 people who potentially contracted the disease, including the boy’s parents.
At a review meeting yesterday, Indian health minister Veena George said six of the individuals currently awaiting test results had displayed symptoms.
According to the World Health Organisation, the incubation period for the virus is typically 4-14 days, though a 45-day incubation period has been reported.
The virus was first recorded in Malaysia in 1999 and has since seen multiple outbreaks across India and Bangladesh.
Three Nipah virus outbreaks have been reported in the Kozhikode district since 2018, including six confirmed cases and two deaths in September 2023.
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