Nipah virus case confirmed in Kerala’s Malappuram district

MALAPPURAM : A case of Nipah virus has been confirmed in Kerala’s Malappuram district, health officials said on Thursday.State health minister Veena George said the infection was found in a 42-year-old woman from Ward 2 of Valanchery municipality.She is presently being treated at a hospital in Perinthalmanna.The woman first visited a private clinic on April 25 with a fever. On May 1, she was admitted to the hospital after her doctor advised further treatment.Initial tests in the state pointed to Nipah, and this was later confirmed by the virology lab in Pune.Twenty-one samples from seven people who had close contact with the patient, including family members, have all tested negative for the virus, according to the minister.The area within a three-kilometre radius of her home will be declared a containment zone.Although the risk of further spread is believed to be low, thorough screening will be carried out, the release said.The minister asked people to wear masks, use hand sanitiser, and avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals. PTI