Nipah: Woman in contact list dies, health dept says body should not be cremated for now

KOTTAKKAL: A young woman listed as a high-risk contact for Nipah has passed away in Kottakkal. She had been in critical condition and was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit alongside the girl who had earlier died of Nipah in Mankada. She passed away this afternoon.

The health department has stopped the woman's family from conducting the funeral for now. Officials have instructed that the body should not be cremated or buried until the results of her Nipah test are confirmed. As per the health department protocol, the woman was part of the high-risk contact category.

Meanwhile, seven individuals in isolation at Palakkad Medical College have tested negative for Nipah. These results include samples from a child admitted on July 6 with symptoms and their close contacts. With this, the test results of all those who developed fever and were on the contact list of the 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara, who was in critical condition due to Nipah, have come back negative.

In a related development, blood samples from dogs and cats were collected in Palakkad district to trace the source of the Nipah virus. The samples were taken from Thachannattukara, the area affected by the outbreak. Authorities hope this may help identify the origin of the virus.