The Kerala health department has identified 251 people who have come in contact with the 12-year-old boy, who succumbed to Nipah virus infection on Sunday, state health minister Veena George said on Monday. Thirty-eight of them are in isolation at the Kozhikode Medical College hospital and 11 of them have symptoms.

George said of the 251 contacts, 129 are healthcare workers. And, 54 out of the 251 people are high-risk contacts, including 30 healthcare workers, the child’s parents and few close relatives. “Samples of eight people have been sent to Pune NIV for testing,” she added.