Tue Sep 17 10:01:17 UTC 2024: ## 13 High-Risk Contacts Test Negative for Nipah Virus in Kerala

**Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala** – The Kerala Health Department announced on Tuesday that 13 individuals in the high-risk category, who had contact with a 24-year-old man who died from Nipah virus in Malappuram district last week, have tested negative for the disease.

Health Minister Veena George stated that out of the 175 people on the deceased man’s contact list, samples from these 13 individuals, considered high-risk, were tested at the Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital in Malappuram.

While the risk of further Nipah spread is considered unlikely, the department is actively tracing all potential contacts and providing preventive medicine. Samples from high-risk individuals and those exhibiting symptoms are being collected and tested, with more samples being collected today.

The department has been in constant communication with the central government and Karnataka health authorities, where the deceased man was studying. His classmates and friends have been traced and are being monitored.

Despite the negative results, restrictions in the containment zones in Malappuram, which include five wards in two panchayats, will continue. The restrictions include closures of shops by 7 pm, suspension of cinema halls, educational institutions, and tuition centers, as well as recommendations for masks in public and reduced gatherings at events.

Nipah outbreaks have previously been reported in Kerala in Kozhikode (2018, 2021, 2023) and Ernakulam (2019) districts.

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