Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on September 17, that 175 people have been included in the contact list of the 24-year-old patient who died of Nipah virus infection. Speaking to media, George said that out of 175 people, 126 have been listed as high-risk category contacts.
“We have found that the death of a student in Malappuram was due to the Nipah virus. 126 of the 175 contacts of this person are in the high-risk category because there are chances of the virus is getting transmitted from one person to other people. We have started house surveillance. Samples tested so far are negative,” the Kerala Health Minister said.
She further said that the district administration has urged everyone living within a 3 km radius to wear masks. Restrictions, including a ban on gathering and setting up containment zones have been done, she said.
“We have taken all measures to ensure that the virus is not spread. There are isolation bays for those found infected. We have requested ICMR for their help,” the health minister said.
Earlier in the day, George met Union Health Minister JP Nadda in Delhi regarding the Nipah outbreak in Malappuram. “I had the appointment a week ago, and many issues were discussed. This meeting was in continuation I had communicated with letter. The meeting was good,” the minister said.
On September 16, the minister chaired two Nipah review meetings held online. A control cell has been set up in the Malappuram Government Guest House compound due to the Nipah alert. The control cell can be reached at 0483 2732010 and 0483 2732060.
According to a State Health Ministry release, a field survey has been initiated within a three-kilometre radius of the deceased person’s residence, with 66 teams deployed. As part of the prevention measures, field-level operations are ongoing.
The test result of a 24-year-old man who died at a private hospital in Malappuram was found positive for the Nipah virus on September 15. The samples were tested at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The deceased was a student in Bengaluru.
(with inputs from ANI)
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