Kozhikode: Nipah infection has been confirmed in Kerala after a patient from Palakkad and an 18-year-old woman from Malappuram, who died on July 1, tested positive at the Pune Virology Institute. Both had earlier shown positive results in initial tests conducted at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
The patient from Palakkad is currently admitted to a private hospital in Perinthalmanna, and her condition remains critical. She is a native of Thachanatukara. The deceased woman was a native of Mankada in Malappuram district.
The Kerala Health Department has prepared a contact list related to the Nipah virus in the state. Health Minister Veena George informed, after a high-level meeting, that 345 people from three districts are on the list. Among them, 211 are from Malappuram, 91 from Palakkad, and 43 from Kozhikode. Authorities informed that all the people in the contact list from Kozhikode are healthcare workers, no one from the public.
Following the confirmation of Nipah in the girl from Mankada, 20 wards in Malappuram district have been declared containment zones. The affected areas include wards 1 to 13 in Makkaraparambu, wards 11 and 15 in Koottilangadi, ward 14 in Mankada, and wards 2, 3, 5, and 6 in Kuruv grama panchayat.
In Palakkad, several wards in Thachanatukara and Karimpuzha panchayats have been declared containment zones. Authorities have also released the travel history of the patient from Palakkad. It is mandated to wear masks in areas that are declared containment zones.
Nipah symptoms were observed in both patients on June 25 and 26. Following this, the Health Department directed healthcare workers to collect information from their localities to identify any deaths due to pneumonia or encephalitis that had occurred within the past three weeks.
Meanwhile, the Kozhikode District Collector has allocated a special ward in the KHRWS block of the Government Medical College Hospital to admit suspected Nipah cases.
Experts have warned against chasing away bats using firecrackers or other methods.
In total, 26 committees have been formed across the three affected districts. In light of the two confirmed cases, health alerts have been issued in Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad districts. Contact tracing is underway with the support of the police. District collectors in the affected regions have declared containment zones, where wearing face masks has been made mandatory.
Health alerts have been issued in Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad districts. A total of 26 response committees have been formed, and contact tracing is underway with police support.
A state-level control room and control rooms in each concerned district have been set up, the Health Minister said. The control room in Kozhikode will operate from 9 am to 5 pm, and the public can contact at 0495-2373903, said District Medical Officer Dr KK Rajaram.
A high-level meeting was convened, which included the participation of the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, NHM State Mission Director, Director of Health Services, Director of Medical Education, Additional Directors, District Collectors, District Medical Officers, police officials, and representatives from various departments.
