499 people in Nipah contact list in Kerala: State Health Minister

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Thursday said that there are 499 people in the contact lists of the two persons who were infected with the Nipah virus in the state.

The two infected included an 18-year-old girl from Malappuram district who died due to the infection and the other is a 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara in Palakkad district who is currently undergoing treatment in Kozhikode.

Of the 499 in the contact list, 203 are in Malappuram, 116 in Kozhikode, 178 in Palakkad and two in Ernakulam districts of the state, the minister said in a statement.


In Malappuram, 11 people are under treatment with two in the ICU, while in Palakkad three are being treated in isolation wards, she said.

A total of 29 people in the state are in the highest risk category and 117 in the high risk category, she added.

Meanwhile, the Malappuram district administration said that in view of no new cases of Nipah being reported from there, containment zones have been removed and restrictions have been lifted.

On Wednesday, a central team had arrived in Kerala to visit Nipah-affected areas in two northern districts and coordinate preventive efforts.

The National Joint Outbreak Response Team, appointed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, visited Malappuram district to study the Nipah situation, report it to the Centre, and assist the state in preventive measures.

Nipah virus infection, according to the WHO website, is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals, and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person to person.