Nipah Virus: 23-year-old Kerala man tests positive for Nipah virus, confirms government

A 23-year-old man from Kochi's Ernakulam, admitted in a private hospital has been tested positive for the deadly Nipah virus, which killed 17 people last year. The National Institute of Virology, Pune, which tested the man's blood samples, confirmed the presence of the virus.

"One person from Kochi's Ernakulam was tested positive in the results that came from Pune Virology Institute," confirmed Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja.

We are prepared with all precautionary measures, especially because we have trained staff from the last outbreak in 2018," Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said on Monday.

"We have started tracing all the people who have come in contact with this youth to ensure they monitored, after they are familiarised with the precautionary measures. There is no reason to panic," said the minister.

In an advisory, the Kerala government said people should not panic as it had put into place precautionary measures even before the virus was confirmed. The health minister said that 86 people in touch with them are under observation and do not have fever or any other symptom so far.

Accoding to reports, four more people, including two nurses, are down with fever. Both of them had come in contact with the 23-year-old man, infected with Nipah virus.

Fifty-two more people, among them 22 students, have been put under surveillance. Among 52, 11 students had travelled with the suspected patient to Thrissur for internship.