- By Kamal Kumar
- Thu, 14 Sep 2023 11:53 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Authorities in Kerala's Kozhikode district are ramping up efforts to contain the virus as one more person, a 24-year-old health worker, tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
This brings the total number of presently infected patients to 3, while District authorities await the results of 11 more samples. Notably, two people have already lost their lives due to the infection.
National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune has confirmed the infection in the health worker employed at a private hospital in Kozhikode, said Kerala Health Minister Veena George in an official statement.
Earlier, two more cases were tested positive with the deadly virus. One is a 9-year-old boy presently fighting for his life on ventilator support at a hospital in Kozhikode and another, a 25-year-old male. Both patients are family members of the Index case, who died of the infection on August 30, according to the district authorities.
A high fatality rate of 40 per cent and as high as 789 contacts of infected persons have alarmed the already staggered district authorities.
Measures taken by the authorities:
1. The precarious situation prompted state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to convene a high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram where he instructed district authorities to take stern measures to crowd control and infection containment.
2. Following the meeting, the Kerala Health Department published a map of routes taken by the two deceased Nipah victims to identify and track their potential contacts. District authorities are trying to contact everyone who may have been exposed to the deceased to prevent further spread.
3. 13 persons including those under intensive care have been shifted to a medical college hospital for coordinated treatment. Isolation rooms have been set up in the hospitals.
Also Read: Nipah Virus In Kerala: Five Confirmed Cases So Far, 77 At High Risk | Key Updates
4. The National Institute of Virology Pune will set up a Biosafety Laboratory 3 (BSL3) level lab in the district to facilitate speedy testing of the samples in the district itself.
5. District Collector A Geetha also confirmed that ICMR's monoclonal antibody medicine, which is the only available treatment for Nipah Virus infection, will arrive by Thursday in the district.
6. Containment zones have been established in the wards of the nine most affected Panchayats by imposing travel restrictions and barricading the gates. As many as 58 containment zones have been put up till Wednesday.
A Brief Overview of the Deadly Nipah Disease (NiV):
Named after a village in Malaysia called Sungai Nipah, the Nipah Virus is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. It can also spread through contaminated food, direct contact with infected individuals, or exposure to fruit bats. Common symptoms include fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing, and nausea.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this virus is fatal to both humans and animals, particularly pigs, and can lead to severe illness. Nipah Virus infection is associated with encephalitis, which causes inflammation in the brain. Annual outbreaks typically occur in parts of Asia, notably in Bangladesh and India, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).