Nipah Strikes Kerala: 5 Infected, 700 Contacts Traced, 77 High-Risk Cases Identified

In Kerala, the Nipah virus has resurfaced, prompting urgent government responses to contain its spread. Here are the most recent developments:

A 24-year-old healthcare worker who had close contact with a confirmed Nipah patient has tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of cases in the state to five.

Authorities have established containment zones and shared the routes taken by deceased patients to assist the public in avoiding these areas.

To prevent further transmission, high-risk Nipah patients have been instructed to stay isolated in their homes. Furthermore, restrictions have been implemented in Kozhikode, including the prohibition of large gatherings at festivals and events.

In Vadakara taluk of Kozhikode district, 58 wards across nine panchayats have been designated as containment zones. Only essential services are permitted, and shops selling essential goods can operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pharmacies and health centers do not have specified operating hours.

Vehicles traveling on national highways that pass through containment zones are prohibited from stopping within these affected areas.

A nine-year-old boy in Kozhikode is infected with Nipah, and the government has ordered monoclonal antibody treatment from ICMR, although its effectiveness against Nipah is unproven. The child is currently on ventilator support.

Health Minister Veena George stressed that WHO and ICMR studies suggest the entire state of Kerala is susceptible to such infections.

The Nipah strain detected in Kerala this time is the Bangladesh variant, which is less contagious but has a higher mortality rate. This strain can be transmitted from person to person.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus that can be transmitted from infected animals or contaminated food to humans and can then spread from one infected person to another. Symptoms include fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing, vomiting, and, in severe cases, brain swelling leading to brain death.

Kerala has previously experienced Nipah outbreaks, with a particularly high mortality rate in the 2018 outbreak.

The Nipah outbreak in Kerala has put the neighboring Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka on high alert. The health department has instructed police to establish checkpoints at border entry points to inspect goods vehicles entering the district, especially fruits coming from Kerala.

Also Read: Suspected Infection Outbreak Claims Lives of Two in Madhya Pradesh Village

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