Kerala: 12-year-old boy dies of Nipah virus; NCDC team collects fruit samples to see link with bats

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 5

The NCDC team which arrived in Kozhikode on Sunday visited the house of the boy who died of Nipah and collected samples of Rambutan fruits, which could be infected by bats.

“The fruit sample will help identify the source of the infection and confirm whether the origin of the infection was through a bat,” experts said.

The team also questioned the family and those close to the deceased to identify the food he consumed and the animals he may have come in contact with. 

The NCDC experts further advised everyone to be extra vigilant and inform health professionals as soon as possible if they have similar symptoms. The central team has instructed locals on the protocol to be followed in the homes and surroundings.

Strict protocol has been imposed within a three-kilometre radius of the Nipah victim’s house. These areas have been declared containment zones. Similar cautionary steps have been issued in nearby areas of Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur districts.

A 12-year-old boy died of Nipah this morning after presenting with inflammation of the brain and the heart.