Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : June 11, 2026 12:16 AM IST
Nipah alert in Kerala: 40-year-old man tests positive with severe symptoms in Kozhikode - Health officials on high alert
A 40-year-old man from Kerala's Kozhikode district has tested positive for the highly lethal Nipah virus, also known as NiV, state officials confirmed on Wednesday. According to the initial reports, health authorities have initiated precautionary measures and have also begun contact tracing.
The patient is currently undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that the Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly fatal zoonotic pathogen that is linked to causing severe respiratory and neurological symptoms in humans. These serious symptoms include - fatal brain swelling (encephalitis) - a condition that can lead to instant death.
The global health body identifies the Nipah virus as a global health priority with a high case fatality rate of 40% to 75%.
First discovered in 1999 following an outbreak of disease in pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore, this virus' only carrier are the fruit bats, also called flying foxes. NiV is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus.
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