The central government has advised immediate public health measures to be taken by the state government as a 14-year-old succumbs to the deadly disease….reports Asian Lite News
The 14-year-old boy who was tested positive for Nipah virus at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital succumbed to the disease on Sunday afternoon, Health Minister Veena George stated.
“A case of Nipah virus has been detected in Mallapuram district of Kerala. A 14-year-old boy from Mallapuram exhibited AES symptoms and was admitted to a healthcare facility in Perinthalmanna before being transferred to a higher health center in Kozhikode. However, the patient later succumbed to the disease. The samples were sent to NIV, Pune which has confirmed a Nipah virus infection,” Govt of India said in a press release.
The Centre has advised immediate public health measures to be taken by the state government, such as active case search in the family of the confirmed case, the neighbourhood, and areas with similar topography. The centre has also advised active contact tracing (for any contacts) during the past 12 days, strict quarantine of the contacts in the case, isolation of any suspects, and collection and transportation of samples for lab testing.
A multi-member joint outbreak response team from the National ‘One Health Mission’ of Union Health Ministry will be deployed to support the State in investigating the case, identifying epidemiological linkages, and providing technical assistance.
Additionally, at the State’s request, ICMR had sent monoclonal antibodies for patient management, and a mobile BSL-3 laboratory for testing additional samples from contacts has arrived in Kozhikode. The monoclonal antibodies had reached before the patient died but could not be used due to his poor general condition.
It is important to note that outbreaks of Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) have been reported in Kerala in the past, with the most recent one occurring in 2023 in the Kozhikode district. Fruit bats are the usual reservoir of the virus, and humans can become infected by accidentally consuming bat-contaminated fruits, the press release stated.
330 people on contact list
Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that seven samples were tested and all came negative, adding that as of now, there are 330 people on the contact list.
She also mentioned that 101 out of 330 are in the high-risk category.
“We tested seven samples today and all are negative. As per today’s assessment, there are 330 people on the contact list. 68 of them are health workers, 101 are in the high-risk category and 7 are in IP admission. Out of this, 6 were in direct contact with the deceased child. One of them doesn’t have an epidemiological link but we tested the sample since the person was showing symptoms and was from the nearby area. But that sample is also negative,” she said.
“The Health Department is continuing this work of testing the samples of those in the contact list. In the Paandikad panchayat (epidemiologic centre) we checked 307 houses. There are 18 fever cases. It’s monsoon season so fever is common. None of these were in contact with the boy. In Aanakkayam panchayat, 310 houses were visited. 10 fever cases were reported. None of them have an epidemiological link,” George added. (ANI)
Kerala can deal with Nipah effectively, says Tharoor
Reacting to the recent outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala, Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday that the state had become an “incubator” of many viruses, but he was confident Kerala could effectively deal with the infection.
“Kerala has dealt with these viruses before. We seem to sadly be an incubator of many viruses. Right now, there’s Nipah, there’s H1N1…various other things being talked about, and people are worried about it, particularly in a state which is so advanced, where the health system is considered the best in India,” Tharoor said while speaking to ANI on Sunday morning.
“It seems, on one hand, ironic that the prevalence of these illnesses is so widespread. On the other hand, we also have confidence that if any state can deal with this effectively, it is Kerala,” he added.
“There is nothing to do with politics; it is essentially about building up a credible public health infrastructure, anchored in the communities and with the public’s full involvement and participation. This was in evidence during COVID and was widely recognized around the world. I hope that Kerala will also be able to handle Nipah and these viruses without too much of setbacks,” Tharoor further said.
The Congress leader also prayed for the recovery of a 14-year-old boy who tested positive for the infection on Saturday. (ANI)
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