Kerala Nipah patient virus-free, health improving, says Minister Veena George

Malappuram (Kerala) | A patient infected with the Nipah virus in this district has tested negative for the virus in two separate samples and is now considered technically free of the infection, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Friday.

In a statement, she said although the critical stage of the illness has not yet been fully overcome, the patient's health indicators are steadily improving.

"For the past 12 days, the patient has been breathing without the help of a ventilator. The patient is now breathing entirely atmospheric air and does not require any respiratory support," George said.

The patient is being treated at the EMS Cooperative Hospital in Perinthalmanna. The minister spoke with Dr Jithesh from the hospital's intensive care unit to assess the patient's current condition.

The case of Nipah virus was confirmed in a 42-year-old woman from Ward 2 of Valanchery municipality on May 8.

The minister said the patient's basic health indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation are all within normal range.

"Internal organs like the liver and kidneys are also functioning normally. Although the patient has not yet regained full consciousness, brain activity is gradually showing signs of improvement," the minister said.

Doctors have observed eye and jaw movements, along with small responses to pain in recent days. MRI scans show that brain injuries caused by the virus are healing.

"There is hope that the patient may be able to return home in the coming weeks, with a full recovery both physically and mentally," George said.

She said the full incubation period -- the maximum time the virus would take to show symptoms in another person after contact -- has passed since the first case was found.

However, helpline and support services will remain active for a few more days.

The patient remains under the care of the full critical care team at Perinthalmanna EMS Cooperative Hospital. The team includes doctors Jithesh, Vijay, Mujeeb Rahman, and pulmonologist Dharitri.

Following guidelines from the State Nipah Medical Board, doctors decided not to move the critically ill patient and instead provided specialist care at the same hospital.

At one point, some doctors had to go into quarantine. But the medical board allowed them to continue treating the patient under strict infection control measures.

Doctors say that if recovery continues, the patient could be moved out of the intensive care unit in the coming days and gradually return to normal life.

If successful, this would be Kerala's second time successfully treating the first confirmed Nipah case.

The minister said when Nipah was first reported in Kerala, the death rate was above 90 per cent, similar to global trends.

"However, since 2021, the use of antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibody treatment has helped reduce deaths. In 2023, the fatality rate in Kerala dropped to 33 per cent," she said.

Even so, saving the first patient in an outbreak is still uncommon, George said.

In this case, the patient received strong medical care along with treatment using Remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies supplied by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).