A 57-year-old man from Palakkad district in Kerala, who died on July 12, is suspected to have been infected with the Nipah virus, prompting the government to ramp up contact tracing and field-level surveillance in the area.
The man had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in this northern district.
His samples were tested at Manjeri Medical College, where the result came back positive for Nipah, Health Minister Veena George said in a statement.
She added that the government is awaiting confirmation from the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
This is the second Nipah-related death reported in Kerala in recent days.
A native of Malappuram had recently died from the infection, while another patient from Palakkad district remains hospitalised.
In response to the fresh suspected case, the government has ramped up contact tracing and field-level surveillance in the area.
A list of 46 people who came into contact with the patient has been drawn up.
CCTV footage and mobile tower location data have been used to help identify those on the contact list.
A detailed route map of the patient's recent movements has been prepared, along with a family tree to trace close contacts.
Health teams are now carrying out fever surveillance in the region to detect any possible symptoms in others.
"Field teams have been strengthened, and all available data is being used to monitor the situation," George said.
Further steps will be taken once confirmation is received from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. -- PTI