• Source:JND
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In the wake of the rising concerns over the Nipah virus in Kerala, one fresh case was reported on Friday in Kerala's Kozhikode, taking the total tally to six. The infection was reported in a 39-year-old man who is currently under observation in a hospital in the district. Meanwhile,  the Karnataka government on Tuesday issued an advisory and asked the general public to avoid unnecessary travel to affected areas of Kerala.

According to an official statement by the Health Department, four confirmed cases of infection and two deaths have been recorded so far. Taking cognisance of the situation, the ICMR has also delivered the antibody requested by the state to combat the deadly virus.

Nipah Virus: Let's take a look at the key updates:

- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) delivered the monoclonal antibody to Kozhikode on Thursday. As of now, the antiviral is the only option available to the government to treat infections. However, its efficacy has yet not been clinically proven.

- The government on Thursday sent 11 samples for testing and the result was recorded negative, according to PTI. However, the samples of another 15 people on the high-risk contact list have also been sent for tests.

- A five-person central team including experts from the National Center for Disease Control, RML Hospital, and NIMHANS have been stationed in Kerala to assess the situation and support the state government in managing the Nipah virus.

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- A fully-equipped mobile virology testing laboratory of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) was dispatched to the northern Kerala district to strengthen virus testing and detection.

- Speaking about the situation in the state, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the stability of the antiviral was discussed with a central expert committee. "Further steps or course of action will be decided by the expert committee," she said.

- The contact list contains 950 people of which 213 are in the high-risk category. The list includes 287 health workers.

- Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar reviewed steps taken for containment of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode, Kerala, from the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), in Pune on Thursday.

- Amid the concerns in Kozhikode district, the District Collector has declared holidays for all educational institutions including Anganwadis, Madrasas, tuition centres including professional colleges on September 16, in addition to the two-day holiday already declared for September 14 and September 15.

- The first and worst outbreak began with a 26-year-old man who went to hospital with a fever and cough that spread to family members and other patients before it was diagnosed as Nipah. Twenty-one of the 23 infected people died then.

- In 2019 and 2021, Nipah claimed two more lives due to the virus. A Reuters investigation published in May identified parts of Kerala as among the places most at risk globally for outbreaks of bat viruses.

(With inputs from agencies)