Nipah virus: 11 more people showing symptoms in Kozhikode village where boy died
Mangalore Today News Network
Kozhikode, Sep 06, 2021: A day after a 12-year-old boy in Kozhikode succumbed to the Nipah virus, Kerala health minister Veena George confirmed that 11 more people, including the child’s mother, are showing symptoms of the viral infection.
Samples have been taken from all 11 persons suspected of contracting Nipah virus, of which results of eight samples are expected by Monday night, said Veena George.
An animal husbandry team has inspected the house and premises where the 12-year-old lived with his family. Samples have been collected from two goats owned by the family. Samples have also been taken from two rambutan trees in their plot, as bats may have bitten the fruits on the tree. The team also found a habitat of bats across the lake from the house. A Bhopal NIV team will reach here on Wednesday to collect samples.
The state health department is closely monitoring the cases and meticulously conducting contact tracing, said the health minister. As many as 251 contacts have been identified, of which 54 people are in the high-risk category.
The health department will begin conducting house-to-house surveillance from Tuesday to see if anyone has symptoms or has been left out from contacts.
Earlier in the day, the Kerala government issued a Nipah management plan listing the health protocol to be followed by government and private hospitals. District authorities can prepare a separate management plan for Nipah and also informed that the treatment and discharge guidelines were also published.State health minister Veena George has asked all districts authorities to remain cautious and to keep under observation those who are affected by encephalitis. Healthcare workers, field workers, doctors and other staff of private hospitals, and others will be given special training.
WHAT IS NIPAH VIRUS?
Nipah is a zoonotic virus i.e. it spreads from animals to humans. The Nipah virus is transmitted from flying foxes (fruit bats) to animals and humans. Generally, it affects animals like pigs, dogs, horses, among others. If spread among humans, Nipah virus can cause serious illness which may result in death.
The World Health Organisation says the Nipah virus infects a range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people which makes it a cause of concern for public health. Nipah virus can be transmitted through "contaminated food or directly between people".
"In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis," WHO says in its guidelines on Nipah virus.
Courtesy:India Today