Noting that the state health system could effectively prevent the spread, he said early detection of Nipah virus averted a dangerous situation.
Published Sep 20, 2023 | 12:58 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 20, 2023 | 12:58 PM
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announces that the Nipah outbreak is under control. (iStock)
With no new positive cases since Saturday, 16 September, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Nipah outbreak reported from Kozhikode district is now under control.
He added, however, that the threat of the infectious disease in the state is not over yet. At present, it is not possible to rule out the chance of a second wave of the Nipah outbreak, he said.
It cannot be said that the threat of Nipah is completely over, but it is a relief that the disease has not spread among more people, the chief minister told reporters at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, 19 September, after a review meeting.
“A Nipah review meeting was held today. Health experts are of the opinion that the possibility of a second wave is very remote but cannot be completely ruled out,” he said.
Noting that the state health system could effectively prevent the spread of the deadly virus, he said that early detection of the virus averted a dangerous situation.
On 18 September, the District Collector of Kozhikode, A Geetha, announced, through a Facebook post, that there would be relaxations in containment zones in nine gram panchayats.
They are:
According to the relaxations, banks can operate up to 2 pm and shops up to 8 pm with proper precautionary measures — masks and physical distancing.
Though the spread of the infection is under control, even the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) could not provide a clear answer as to why Nipah cases are being reported from northern Kozhikode, the chief minister said.
Samples of 36 bats were sent for testing but no virus was found. More samples would be collected in the coming days, the chief minister added.
The route map of the first infected person was taken with the help of the police and samples of bats from these sites would be collected and sent for testing, Vijayan stated.
“Even the ICMR does not give a clear answer to why the disease is recurring in Kozhikode. In this regard, the state has decided to conduct a zero surveillance study. The health department has been directed to prepare a detailed proposal for this,” Vijayan said.
The information from the ICMR study on bats would also be available to the state and research, which involves collecting samples without catching bats, would be carried out with the help of the Institute of Advanced Virology, he further said.
Regarding the four Nipah-infected patients, including a nine-year-old boy, the state Health Minister Veena George said that their medical condition was stable. The last Nipah-positive case reported in the state was on 15 September.
The minister had, on Sunday, said that as no new positive Nipah virus cases were reported, the containment and quarantine measures would remain in place for 42 days from the last reported positive case.
The incubation period of the virus is 21 days and therefore, “a double incubation period of 42 days from the last positive case” is considered as the period during which caution has to be exercised, George explained.
The tests would continue to be conducted at the microbiology lab at Kozhikode Medical College and at the Institute of Advanced Virology Lab at Thonnakkal near Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan said.
It is estimated that the number of people on the contact list of the affected persons is likely to increase, he said.
Narrating the steps taken by the government to check the prevention of the disease, Vijayan said that, currently, 994 people are under surveillance.
Samples of 304 people were collected and, of these, the test results of 267 people have been received, he added. He said that six people tested positive and nine people are under observation at Kozhikode Medical College.
The total number of cases of Nipah infections confirmed in the state is six, of which two succumbed, and four people are currently being treated.
The Health Department also formed a psycho-social support team as part of the Nipah prevention activities, the chief minister added.
Nipah cases were reported from the Kozhikode district on previous occasions in 2018 and 2021.
(With PTI inputs)
