No new positive case of Nipah in Kerala; 61 negative results: State govt

The World Health Organisation and ICMR studies have found that the entire state, not just Kozhikode, is prone to such infections

No fresh cases of the Nipah virus were reported in Kerala on Monday as 61 samples taken of ‘high-risk’ contacts including healthcare workers tested negative, state health minister Veena George said.

The last Nipah positive case reported in the state was on September 15. (PTI Photo)

This is the third consecutive day that no positive cases of the zoonotic virus have been reported in the state.

The last positive case, that of a 39-year-old from Cheruvannur, Kozhikode, was discovered on September 15.

So far, six cases of the virus have been found in the state of which two persons died while four others are under treatment.

The condition of all four active cases is stable including the nine-year-old boy who was on ventilator support until Saturday, officials said.

“Among the 61 persons who tested negative, there are healthcare workers who had treated the latest person to test Nipah positive. Another person who was a close contact with the man who died of Nipah on September 11 has also tested negative. It is a relief for the health department,” said George.

“I also held extensive talks with central health officials today. They appreciated the measures taken by the Kerala government. One of their teams will return today. They visited all areas including hospitals,” she added.