Kerala: 14 year old boy tests positive for Nipah virus

George, who met the media here, said the Pune NIV (National Institute of Virology) had confirmed the infection in the boy who is currently under treatment at a private hospital.

Representative image of Nipah virus testing.

Credit: iStock Photo

Thiruvananthapuram: A 14 year old boy in Kerala has been tested positive for Nipah infection.

The boy hailing from Malappuram district was under treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. He will be shifted to Kozhikode medical college hospital.

Health minister Veena Geogre said that all those who came in contact with the boy were being traced and kept under surveillance. The Nipah infection was confirmed by the National Institute of Virology, Pune.

Last year also Nipah cases were reported in Kerala claiming two lives. Nipah outbreak in 2018 claimed 21 lives and one life in 2021. Even as the infection was believed to be spreading through fruit bats, the exact source could not be confirmed.