A 12-year-old boy who was admitted at a hospital in Kozhikode district of Kerala died due to Nipah virus infection on Sunday morning, state Health Minister Veena George said.
“Unfortunately, the boy passed away at 5 in the morning. The condition of the child was critical yesterday night. We formed various teams yesterday night and have started the tracing. Steps have been taken to isolate those who are the primary contact of the boy,” the minister said.
“As of now, there is no need to panic, but we need to exercise caution,” she added.
The boy had symptoms of encephalitis and myocarditis, and he was admitted to hospital on September 1. As many as 20 high-risk primary contacts of the patient have been placed under observation.
The central government has rushed a team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Kerala to provide technical support to the state.
In 2018, the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala had claimed 17 lives. The state had reported a case in 2019 also, in Kochi.
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