A seven-year-old boy who had tested positive for West Nile Virus in Kerala last week died on Monday. Muhammed Shan was undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College, Mathrubhumi reported.
Shan was a native of Vengara in Malappuram. The district’s medical officer Dr K Sakeena said all precautions had been taken to prevent the spread of the virus, the report said.
The Centre had on last Thursday sent a team to Kerala after the boy had tested positive for the vector-borne West Nile virus, to review the situation and also help the district administration in its prevention and management.
The virus is transmitted to humans through a mosquito bite and is mostly reported in North America. Affected people complain of fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, occasionally skin rash and swollen lymph glands.
A health ministry statement on Thursday said the Centre was closely monitoring the situation and Union Health Minister JP Nadda had directed for all support to be extended to Kerala for prevention and management of the disease.
The Health Ministry had dispatched a four-member multi-disciplinary central team from National Centre for Disease Control.
The Indian Council of Medical Research was also alerted and a close watch was being maintained at the central and state levels, the statement said.
“There are no reports available so far about the spread of this virus in other parts of the country,” it said.
(With PTI inputs)