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Updated: Mar 18, 2019 11:06 IST

A seven-year-old boy in Kerala’s Malappuram district who had tested positive for West Nile Virus died in Kozhikode medical college on Monday morning, hospital sources said. .

West Nile Virus is a disease which spreads from birds to humans with the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. The symptoms include cold, fever, bodyache, fatigue and nausea, with complications leading to meningitis and death.

The authorities have issued a high alert in Kerala’s north Malabar region after seven-year-old Mohamad Shan’s death. No other case has been reported yet.

“No need to panic. The boy was in isolation ward for last 10 days. We are on high alert and going by the protocol of the World Health Organisation,” Kerala health minister K K Shylaja said, adding that the state was in constant touch with the union health ministry. Another senior health officer said all who were in contact with the child, including parents and medical professionals, are under observation.

Also read: What is West Nile Virus and how does it spread? Read here

The state health director has convened a high-level meet. All hospitals have been alerted, private have also been told to make arrangements for isolation wards and safety kits.

Last week, a two-member team of experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi went to Malappuram to support state health authorities to manage the disease.

Seven months ago, a woman from Kozhikode district was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital with West Nile Virus-like symptoms. But she did not test positive.