Overview

• A 38-year-old woman in Palakkad tested positive for Nipah virus and remains in critical condition following the July 1 death of an 18-year-old from encephalitis.
• Health teams have identified 425 contacts across three districts and are monitoring 12 patients in treatment wards, including five in intensive care.
• No additional infections have been confirmed beyond the two known cases, and officials are awaiting pending test results to assess further spread.
• Oxford University scientists have initiated phase 1 human trials of a Nipah vaccine candidate in response to the virus’s high fatality rate and neurological impact.
• Officials have launched studies of fruit bats, the virus’s primary reservoir, due to concerns that habitat changes in Kerala heighten spillover risk.