A 57-year-old man from Palakkad district in Kerala, who died on July 12, is suspected to have been infected with the Nipah virus, prompting the government to ramp up contact tracing and field-level surveillance in the area.

The man had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in this northern district. This is the second Nipah-related death reported in Kerala in recent days. A native of Malappuram had recently died from the infection, while another patient from Palakkad district remains hospitalised. In response to the fresh suspected case, the government has ramped up contact tracing and field-level surveillance in the area.

According to the WHO, Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that spreads from animals to humans and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or via direct human-to-human contact.

Source: NDTV - July 14, 2025