Kerala confirms another Nipah case in Malappuram's Valanchery district

A 42-year-old woman from Valanchery, Malappuram has tested positive for Nipah virus, marking Kerala's seventh reported case since the first outbreak in 2018

Kerala on Thursday reported yet another case of the deadly Nipah virus—the seventh such incident in the state since 2018. This time, the patient is a 42-year-old woman from Valanchery in Malappuram district.

 

The infected woman is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Perinthalmanna. State Health Minister Veena George told the media that authorities are taking adequate measures to prevent further spread of the virus. The infection was confirmed after tests conducted at the Kozhikode Microbiology Lab and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. This marks the third time Malappuram district has seen an outbreak of the Nipah virus.

 

Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus, transmitted from animals to humans. First identified in Malaysia in 1998 by researchers from the University of Malaya, the disease was named after the village of Sungai Nipah. The virus is known for a high case fatality rate—estimated at up to 75 per cent—and the potential to trigger a pandemic. Transmission occurs mainly from fruit bats, pigs, contaminated fruit, or through human-to-human contact.

 

Symptoms in humans can range from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness. Early symptoms include headache, muscle pain, vomiting and sore throat, progressing in some cases to severe respiratory issues, atypical pneumonia and neurological complications such as encephalitis. Other symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness and altered consciousness.

 

Nipah Outbreaks in India

 

*  January 2001: 66 cases reported in Siliguri, West Bengal; 49 fatalities

  *  February 2007: Five deaths in Nadia district, West Bengal; 100% case fatality rate

  *  May 2018: 17 deaths in Kozhikode, Kerala; two patients recovered

  *  June 2019: A 23-year-old student diagnosed in Ernakulam

  *  September 2021: A 12-year-old boy died in Pazhur, Kozhikode

  *  August–September 2023: Six cases and two deaths in Kozhikode

  *  July 2024: One death reported in Pandikkad, Malappuram

  *  September 2024: A 24-year-old man died in Thiruvali panchayat, Malappuram

  *  May 2025: One case reported in Valanchery, Malappuram