Kerala | 14-year-old boy diagnosed with Nipah infection dies

The 14-year-old boy from Chembracheri in Pandikkad Panchayat, Malappuram district, who was being treated after contacting Nipah virus, died at Kozhikode Medical College on Sunday morning (July 21).

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said, “He was on ventilator support. The urine output had reduced this morning. After a massive cardiac arrest, the revival efforts failed and he passed away at 11.30 am.” 

The minister said the funeral will be held following international protocols. “Further matters on the funeral will be decided only after the district Collector holds discussion with the boy's parents and the family,” she added.

Nipah was confirmed in the boy through tests conducted at the Kozhikode Virology Lab and the National Institute of Virology, Pune. The boy had been receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode before being transferred to a specially equipped ICU at the medical college just the other day.

Health officials urged residents to remain vigilant and adhere to safety protocols as they work to contain the virus. Blood samples of 60 people who had been in contact with the boy have been taken for tests. Fifteen of the samples have already been sent to the virology lab, and the results are pending. Another boy, a friend of the deceased, is undergoing treatment for fever at Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital and is under close monitoring.

Suffering from fever 11 days ago, the deceased had first sought treatment from a paediatrician in Pandikkad. When the fever persisted, he was taken to a nearby private hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to Moulana Hospital in Perinthalmanna. On July 19, he was moved to MIMS Hospital in Kozhikode and subsequently to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. His parents and uncle, apart from the friend, are also being monitored.

(With agency inputs)