NEW DELHI-- Indian health authorities on Sunday confirmed Nipah virus infection of a man who died recently in Malappuram district of southern Indian state of Kerala.
The Press Trust of India said quoting Kerala Health Minister Veena George that the 24-year-old man who died at a private hospital in Malappuram was infected with the Nipah virus.
The minister added that after suspicion of possible Nipah case as the Regional Medical Officer conducted an investigation into the death, available samples were immediately sent for testing and it turned out to be positive.
The results from National Institute of Virology in Pune also confirmed the infection today.
The Malappuram native who was a student in the city of Bengaluru in neighbouring state of Karnataka died on September 9 at a private hospital in Malappuram.
George said that 16 committees were formed and a contact list of 151 people has been identified and isolated.
A 14-year-old boy from Malappuram had died after Nipah infection in July. Kerala reported Nipah virus infections in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Fruit bats are considered the natural host of the deadly virus which affects both animals and humans.
The virus shows symptoms of the disease similar to influenza such as high body temperature and headache.
It was first detected in Malaysia in 1998 and Bangladesh and Singapore had witnessed Nipah virus outbreaks in the past. 

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