Four Nipah Cases Confirmed In Kerala, Race On To Prevent A Deadly Outbreak
The Kerala Health Department is moving on a war footing level to contain the spread after the Union Health Ministry confirmed that the two recent suspected Nipah deaths in the state were, in fact, caused by the deadly virus.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday confirmed that two more samples sent for testing at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, have tested positive for Nipah.
Four Nipah cases in Kerala
The two people who have now tested positive for Nipah are -- the 9-year-old son and another relative of a 44-year-old man from Kozhikode, who died on August 30.
He was undergoing treatment in a hospital with a high fever but later succumbed.
Initially, it was suspected that the death was due to the comorbidity of liver cirrhosis, but only after his 25-year-old brother-in-law and 9-year-old son sought treatment with similar symptoms did authorities feel something was amiss.
In the meantime, another 40-year-old who developed similar symptoms died in the hospital.
Samples of the two victims have tested positive for Nipah, which was first reported in Kerala in 2018.
Kerala yet to receive NIV report?
Kerala Health Minister, however, said it is still awaiting official confirmation from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, where samples have been sent for testing.
"We are still awaiting results from NIV Pune. After news came of confirmation, I contacted NIV Pune, and they said the test is still ongoing. We have conducted tests in Kerala and strongly suspects Nipah virus infection. But official declaration can be done only after getting results from Pune," she told ANI.
The health minister has directed local health workers to keep a close vigil in their areas. As a precautionary measure, the Health Ministry has also directed for an isolation facility in Kozhikode Medical College.
Containment zones in seven panchayats?
Considering the serious nature of the disease, the Kozhikode administration declared seven village panchayats as containment zones.
In a Facebook post, Kozhikode District Collector A Geetha said that the panchayats declared as containment zones included Atanchery, Maruthonkara, Tiruvallur, Kuttiyadi, Kayakkodi, Villyapalli, and Kavilumpara.
No travel in or out of these containment zones will be allowed till further notice. The police have been asked to cordon off these areas, she said on Tuesday.
Only stores selling essential commodities and medical supplies will be allowed to function.
Stores selling essential goods will be allowed to function from 7 am to 5 pm. No time bar has been given for pharmacies and health centres.
Local self-government institutions and village offices can function with minimum staff.
Banks, other government or quasi-government institutions, educational institutions, and anganwadis should not operate, the collector said.
The public should use online services and avoid going to local self-government institutions, she said.
Buses or vehicles plying on national highways through the containment zones should not stop in the affected areas.
Directions regarding this should be issued by the regional transport officer and district transport officer, the post said.
All should maintain social distancing and use masks and sanitiser in the containment zones, it said.
What is Nipah virus infection?
Earlier, Union Health Minister Mandaviya had said that the Central government has rushed a team of health experts to Kerala.
Nipha virus is a deadly?zoonotic illness?that is transmitted to people from animals and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person to person.
Fruit bats are suspected to be the virus carriers, which, if infected, has a 70-90 per cent mortality rate in humans.
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