Kozhikode: A 14-year-old boy, who was being treated for the Nipah virus at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, passed away on Sunday. The child was on a ventilator to assist with breathing. The death occurred at approximately 11:30 am.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George has confirmed the death. " The boy suffered a massive cardiac arrest at 10:50 am while he remained on ventilator," she said.

A total of 246 individuals are listed as contacts of the patient, with 63 classified as high-risk.

The boy, from Pandikkad, Malappuram, tested positive for the Nipah virus on Saturday. The official test result from the Pune Virology Institute was received by 7 pm on the same day. The disease was also confirmed through tests conducted within the state. Following the diagnosis, the child, initially on a ventilator at a private hospital in Kozhikode, was transferred to the medical college for further treatment.

Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021 and 2023 and in Ernakulam district in 2019, and the presence of Nipah virus antibodies had been detected in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.