Health Minister Veena George announced on Monday that 173 individuals have been identified in the contact network of the Nipah virus patient from Palakkad, who remains in critical condition at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
The patient, a 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukkara, tested positive for Nipah on July 4. She is being treated with two doses of monoclonal antibody, a potential therapeutic option for Nipah, while doctors work to reduce the viral impact on her system.
Among the 173 contacts, 100 are classified as primary contacts, and 52 fall into the high-risk category. So far, five symptomatic individuals tested negative, while samples from four others have been sent to Manjeri Medical College for analysis. Currently, 12 people are in isolation in Palakkad, and the patient’s son, who accompanied her to the hospital, is quarantined in Kozhikode.
Minister George emphasized that close contacts from July 1 onward are under observation, noting that the virus typically spreads when symptoms worsen. Field surveillance has begun to track fever and encephalitis cases, and investigations are underway into any unusual deaths in the region.
Meanwhile, the animal husbandry department has launched inspections to trace animal sources, especially bats. They are also seeking central government support for bat sampling.
In a related development, Kerala reported another Nipah death—an 18-year-old girl from Malappuram—on the same day. Palakkad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode districts have been placed under high alert.