Living martyr: Kerala nurse lying in coma for months after treating Nipah patient

Titto Thomas, a health worker and native of Mangalore, has been in a paralyzed state at a hospital in Kozhikode for the past 8 months. He was diagnosed with latent encephalitis, a complication of Nipah virus infection, after testing positive for the virus.

Titto, who worked as a nurse in the Emergency department of the same hospital, contracted the disease from a Nipah patient who came here seeking treatment. 

Although Titto was cured of Nipah, he suffered latent encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain) as a side effect. The 24-year-old is now reduced to a vegetative state and relies on Artificial respiration. 

Titto, joined a private hospital in Kozhikode on April 23, 2023, after completing his nursing studies. At the end of August 2023, a patient who came to the same hospital with a high fever was diagnosed with Nipah after his death. Titto’s brother, Shijo Thomas, said that Titto suffered from headaches and neck pain when he returned home in November after completing quarantine.

He didn’t take the headache very seriously. When Titto returned to work in December, he began experiencing severe headaches. Tests sent to the Pune Institute of Virology diagnosed him with latent encephalitis. He began undergoing treatment at the hospital. Even as treatment progressed, Titto became unconscious. The health department formed a medical board including the doctors of the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, but there has been no improvement in Titto’s health condition. 

Titto’s family says that his treatment should be shifted to some other hospital with more facilities. The main obstacle is the family's financial situation. Titto’s only brother, Shijo, has resigned from his job to help take care of Titto along with his mother Lissy. So far, the treatment expenses have been borne by the management of the private hospital. The management has spent about Rs 40 lakhs for treatment. Titto’s family says that they need financial assistance from the government to continue his treatment. The family says that the health department is aware of Titto’s health condition and if they get financial help, they can bring Titto back to life.

Nipah encephalitis is a subsequent brain inflammation caused by the Nipah virus. It renders the patient unconscious and can lead to seizures and coma. Treatment for Nipah encephalitis is currently given as per the symptoms that the patient displays.