Kerala on alert after two suspected Nipah cases spark concern in three districts
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Health authorities in Kerala on Friday issued an alert across three northern districts after two people showed possible signs of Nipah virus infection, reviving fears of an outbreak that the state has battled in the past.
Health alerts have been issued in the districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad, officials said.
The suspected cases from Malappuram and Palakkad districts were flagged during routine testing at government medical colleges in Kozhikode and Malappuram.
Samples have been rushed to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for confirmation, an official release said here.
"We have already strengthened preventive measures in line with Nipah protocol," said Health Minister Veena George after chairing an emergency meeting to assess the situation.
In Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad districts, 26 special teams have been formed in each region to carry out contact tracing, monitor symptoms and inform the public.
Help from the police has been sought to identify people who may have been exposed to the patients, the minister said.
District collectors have been asked to prepare containment zones, and public announcements are being made to raise awareness.
State and local helplines are being set up to assist the public.
Officials are also being urged to check if any unnatural or unexplained deaths have occurred in recent weeks -- one of the key warning signs of a potential outbreak, she said.
Another high-level meeting will be held this evening to take stock of the evolving situation and ensure all precautions are in place.
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PM Modi's 'friendship' with President Trump proving to be hollow: Congress
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New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "much boasted friendship" with US President Donald Trump is now proving to be "hollow" and cited several overtures the latter recently made to Pakistan.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh also alleged that Indian diplomacy was failing in the light of the US partnering with Pakistan.
"The abject failure of Indian diplomacy, especially in the past two months, is revealed most tellingly by four facts. These expose the tall claims made by the Prime Minister and his drum-beaters and cheerleaders," he said in his post.
Ramesh said that since May 10, 2025, Trump has claimed 25 times that "he personally intervened to stop Operation Sindoor, threatening India and Pakistan that if they didn't bring the war to a halt, they would not have a trade agreement with the USA."
On June 10, 2025, he claimed, Gen Michael Kurilla, the head of the US Central Command, hailed Pakistan as a phenomenal partner of the US in countering terrorism.
On June 18, 2025, Trump held an unprecedented luncheon meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in the White House, Ramesh noted.
"Two months earlier, Munir's inflammatory, incendiary, and communally provocative remarks had provided the backdrop to the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks on April 22, 2025," he said.
Just yesterday, the Congress leader claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and thanked Pakistan for its partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional stability.
"The PM's clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, has already cost India heavily. His much boasted friendship with President Trump is now proving to be hollow," Ramesh said in his post.
