Overview

• The patient, currently in critical condition at a Perinthalmanna hospital, is suffering from severe respiratory distress and encephalitis symptoms.
• Seven high-risk contacts, including close family members, have tested negative for Nipah, but surveillance and containment efforts continue.
• Authorities have declared a three-kilometre containment zone around the patient’s residence, with restrictions on public gatherings and mandatory mask-wearing.
• Health officials are investigating the source of the infection, focusing on potential zoonotic links, including contaminated fruit consumption.
• This marks Kerala's seventh Nipah outbreak since 2018 and the third in Malappuram district, underscoring the state’s ongoing vulnerability to the deadly virus.