Nipah Virus Death: Kerala Affirms Malappuram Boy Ate Hog Plum From Fruit Bat-Infested Area

A day after the unfortunate death of a 14-year-old boy in Malappuram due to the Nipah virus, the Kerala health department confirmed he had eaten a hog plum fruit from an area known to be inhabited by fruit bats.

Health Minister Veena George, after a review in Malappuram, stated, "We have confirmed the presence of fruit bats in that region. Initial analysis suggests this could be the source of the infection. Further investigation is necessary to confirm this."

She added, "A team of experts from the National Virology Institute in Pune will arrive in Malappuram on Monday to study the fruit bats in the area."

Fruit bats are acknowledged to be carriers of the Zoonotic Virus. The minister added that an analysis of previous infection incidents showed that the virus strain found in affected individuals in Kerala was similar to the strain in fruit bats.

Efforts are underway, with the help of the ICMR, to detect the virus in fruits, she noted.

In past Nipah outbreaks, infections were reported from areas with a presence of fruit bats.

In 2021, the NIV-Pune found Nipah virus antibodies in samples from two fruit bat varieties in Kozhikode district, reinforcing the belief that these mammals are the virus' primary source.

Infected fruit bats can also transmit the disease to other animals, such as pigs, dogs, cats, goats, horses, and sheep. Fruit bats, the identified animal host reservoir for the virus, typically breed in May and June.