Kerala puts Kozhikode on alert after suspected Nipah case

Health authorities in Kerala are on high alert after a preliminary test for the Nipah virus returned positive for a 43-year-old man in Kozhikode. The patient, a businessman from the Feroke area, is currently receiving treatment on ventilator support in the isolation ward of the Government Medical College Hospital, officials confirmed on Thursday, June 11.

The state health department has initiated a major contact tracing and containment operation while awaiting final confirmation from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Health Minister K. Muraleedharan stated that based on the patient's symptoms and the preliminary test, the case points to Nipah. He emphasized there is no need for public panic, as this is a suspected case and not an outbreak.

Officials believe the man may have contracted the virus while cleaning a recently rented godown, a structure suspected of having a significant bat presence. The patient first sought medical care for a fever, which initially subsided before returning. His condition later worsened, developing into serious symptoms including confusion and behavioral changes, which led to his admission to a private hospital before being transferred to...