Three Persons Under Nipah Observation in Kerala’s Kozhikode

Representational Picture

Ten more persons have been added to the contact list, taking the total number of contacts under surveillance to 87

Kozhikode: Three persons under quarantine have been admitted to hospital for observation and their samples have been sent for testing as part of Nipah surveillance measures in Kozhikode district, state Health Minister K Muraleedharan said on Friday.

The minister also said that experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are scheduled to visit the district on Saturday to assess the situation and review containment measures.

No new Nipah cases have been reported in the district so far, he said.

“The patient currently undergoing treatment for Nipah has been administered the first dose of monoclonal antibody therapy in accordance with ICMR guidelines and on the recommendation of the medical board,” the minister said.

Ten more persons have been added to the contact list, taking the total number of contacts under surveillance to 87. Of them, four are in the highest-risk category, 16 in the high-risk category and 67 in the low-risk category, he said.

All those on the contact list are being monitored through twice-daily calls from the control room, the minister added.

“As part of preventive measures, health workers conducted a survey in 286 houses in Ward 5 of Ramanattukara municipality, where the Nipah case was reported. Twelve persons with fever were identified, but none showed symptoms associated with Nipah infection,” he said.

A meeting of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) was also held in Ramanattukara municipality to review the ongoing containment activities, he said.

A 43-year-old man was recently confirmed to have contracted Nipah virus infection and is undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans and, in some cases, between humans. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the natural reservoir of the virus. The infection can cause severe respiratory illness and encephalitis, and has a high fatality rate.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that hospital authorities have reportedly indicated a shortage of essential medicines at a time when a Nipah patient was undergoing treatment on ventilator support in critical condition.

He alleged that the reports from the hospital are contrary to the health minister’s claims that there was no shortage of medicines and that supplies would be made available soon.

“Hospital authorities were unable to specify exactly when the medicines would reach the facility, raising concerns over the timely availability of life-saving drugs. Inability to ensure the availability of such essential medicines in a time-bound manner was a matter of serious concern,” he said.

Vijayan urged the state government to intervene immediately and take urgent steps to ensure the availability of the medicines on a war footing.

On Wednesday, Muraleedharan had told reporters that there was no shortage of medicines required for treatment and containment measures. He had said that one of the medicines required for treatment, which has to be imported, is available in Chennai, which will be brought to Kozhikode soon.