• Source:JND
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Nipah Virus: A fresh case of Nipah virus was confirmed in Kozhikode, where two people were killed by the brain-damaging virus recently, the Kerala government said. The total number of cases in the state has risen to six with two fatalities. Kerala government stated that at present, the contact list of infected persons has 1,080 people while 130 people have been newly included today in the list. Out of all this 327 people in the list are health workers.

Also, a total of 29 people in other districts are in the contact list of Nipah-infected people. Among them, 22 are from Malappuram, one from Wayanad and three each from Kannur and Thrissur, said Kerala health minister Veena George. 'In the high-risk category, 175 are common people and 122 are healthcare workers," she added.

Here, check all the latest updates from Kerala on the Nipah virus:

- In the wake of the Nipah virus infection, all educational institutes including schools, professional colleges, and tuition centres in Kerala's Kozhikode will remain shut for a week until next Sunday, September 24. Meanwhile, online classes will be ensured throughout the week. The district administration has already declared a holiday for educational institutions in Kozhikode on Saturday (September 16) Thursday and Friday.

- With the new Nipah infection in the state, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has decided to procure from Australia 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for its treatment. According to officials, the monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with the Nipah virus outside India, and all of them have survived. ICMR DG Rajeev Bahl on Friday said that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is planning to start work on developing a vaccine against the viral disease.

- The Kerala High Court has asked the state government to issue guidelines, if required, for the pilgrimage to Sabarimala when it opens for the monthly puja in view of the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district. The hilltop shrine in Pathanamthitta district opens for five days every Malayalam month. This month, it will open for pilgrims on Sunday.

- In a slight relief to Kerala, the test results of 30 healthcare workers, who were the primary contacts of the first deceased Nipah-virus-infected person, returned negative on Friday.

-The central team arrived in Kozhikode to study the situation and conducted an inspection at the house of the index patient at the Maruthonkara panchayat. The central team, headed by scientist Balasubramanyam, comprises members including Hanul Thukral, M Santhosh Kumar and Gajendrasingh.

-Meanwhile, a complaint against 40-year-old Anil Kumar, a newspaper agent was lodged by Kerala police for allegedly posting fake news related to the virus. According to officials, the man circulated phoney news through social media, claiming that “Nipah was a fake narrative created by pharma companies."

This is the fourth time the viral infection has been confirmed in the state. It was detected in Kozhikode in 2018 and 2021 and Ernakulam in 2019. The World Health Organisation and ICMR studies have found that the entire state, not just Kozhikode, is prone to such infections.