Kozhikode confirmed its fifth case of the Nipah virus on Wednesday— a 24-year-old health worker in a private hospital.
Published Sep 14, 2023 | 12:54 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 14, 2023 | 12:54 PM
Health Minister Veena George and Kozhikode collector A Geetha at the review meeting of Nipah outbreak. (Veena George/ Facebook)
Kozhikode District Collector A Geetha has announced two days of holidays for all educational institutions on Thursday, 14 September, and Friday, 15 September, in view of the Nipah virus outbreak in the district — which confirmed its fifth case on Wednesday.
The collector in a Facebook post said educational institutions can arrange online classes on the two days for students. However, there will be no change in the university exams schedule, she added.
Speaking to media in Thiruvananthapuram Health Minister Veena George also said the district collector has been authorised to issue orders directing people to avoid mass gatherings in Kozhikode till 24 September.
Kozhikode confirmed its fifth case of the Nipah virus on Wednesday. A 24-year-old health worker in a private hospital is said to have tested positive for the virus.
The virus outbreak was confirmed on 12 September after two fever-related deaths were reported in the district.
Concerns have arisen due to the contact list of patients, with 700 individuals having had contact with them. Among these, approximately 77 have been classified as high-risk cases, Health Minister George said to reporters on Wednesday.
High-risk Nipah patients have been advised to remain indoors. The travel paths of the two deceased Nipah patients have been disclosed to prevent people from using those routes.
A total of 58 wards spanning nine panchayats in Vadakara taluk of Kozhikode district have been designated as containment zones. Only essential services entry/exit are permitted in these areas. Shops selling essential items can operate between 7 am and 5 pm, while pharmacies and health centres have no specific operating hours.
Buses and vehicles passing through the containment zones on national highways have been asked to refrain from stopping within the affected areas.
Although the current outbreak is centered in Kozhikode, Minister George has stated that the entire state of Kerala is susceptible to such infections, citing studies by WHO and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).
Kerala has previously experienced Nipah outbreaks in 2018, along with isolated cases in 2019 and 2021. In 2018, 17 out of 18 patients succumbed to the disease.
Shailaja, former health minister, who had won accolades for containing the Nipah infection effectively in 2018, said Kerala has a protocol and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to effectively fight the infection and prevent its spread.
“In 2018, it was a new virus to us, and we did not have any experience battling such an infection. Now, we have everything in place to contain it effectively,” Shailaja told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
She said Nipah testing facilities have been established in the state but the declaration of virus infection can only be made by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
“We have the facility. We tried it out during the first bout in 2018 at Kozhikode. But the declaration can only be made by NIV, Pune,” the senior CPI(M) MLA said.
The government had also said that 13 others who have mild symptoms are now being monitored in the hospital, and only a 9-year-old child— among those infected— is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
It had said that monoclonal antibodies had been ordered from ICMR to treat the child. It is the only available anti-viral treatment for Nipah virus infection, though it has not been clinically proven yet.
“We have ordered the monoclonal antibody with the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and it will be brought to Kozhikode soon. The imported medicine is already available with the ICMR,” George said.
A review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was also held in the wake of the outbreak of the brain-damaging virus.
The high-level meeting analysed the situation thoroughly, and “we have come to the conclusion that all the possible prevention measures are in place, and there is no need to panic”, George had said.
With active cases of the Nipah virus in Kerala’s Kozhikode district, two neighbouring states have sounded an alert and are even subjecting travellers coming from Kerala to checks for any flu-like symptoms.
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have decided to open checkposts along their borders with Kerala.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian told reporters, “There is no need to panic. We won’t face any threat. We will take the necessary steps to ensure that there is no outbreak here. Our health teams are monitoring the check posts.”
He said officials from the Health Department would screen people in all border districts, such as Coimbatore, Theni, Nilgiris, Tenkasi, Tiruppur, and Kanyakumari, as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, the Dakshina Kannada administration in Karnataka sounded an alert in the district following the confirmation of Nipah cases in neighbouring Kerala.
The Karnataka Health Department has asked the police to open checkposts at border points to inspect goods vehicles entering the district. The police have been directed to check fruits entering the state from Kerala.
District Health Officer Dr Sudarshan asked the eight medical colleges in Mangaluru to keep under observation patients who come to them with suspected cases of brain fever.
Meanwhile, a 24-hour control room was set up in the neighbouring district of Wayanad following the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode
The Wayanad district administration also constituted 15 core committees to lead the prevention and surveillance activities and effectively deal with emergency situations.
The virus strain seen in the state was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious, the government said.
The condition of all 77 people who are in the high-risk contact category remains stable, State Health Minister Veena George said.
People living in forest areas have to take the highest precautions, George had said, adding that the latest case of the Nipah virus originated within 5 km of a jungle area.
Four more wards — three in Villyapally panchayat and one in Purameri panchayat — in Kozhikode district had been declared as containment zones yesterday in addition to those announced on Tuesday, 12 September.
Considering the serious nature of the disease, the Kozhikode administration had on Tuesday declared seven village panchayat — Atanchery, Maruthonkara, Tiruvallur, Kuttiyadi, Kayakkodi, Villyapalli, and Kavilumpara — as containment zones.
(With PTI inputs)
