Kerala: 12-year-old admitted in Kozhikode hospital with suspected Nipah virus infection

A 12-year-old boy has been admitted to a hospital in Kerala’s Kozhikode with symptoms similar to those of Nipah virus infection, health department sources said Saturday.

The state government held a high-level meeting of health officials late Saturday night following the information about the suspected Nipah infection, a health department source told PTI.

Although the state government has not yet officially announced the presence of Nipah virus, sources said the health minister might rush to Kozhikode Sunday morning to take stock of the situation.

The first Nipah virus disease (NiV) outbreak in South India was reported in the Kozhikode district of Kerala on May 19, 2018. The state had witnessed 17 deaths and 18 confirmed cases till June 1, 2018.