The state has intensified surveillance of any cases of infection to initiate contact tracing
Thiruvananthapuram:
Determined to prevent the spread of Nipah virus, the Kerala government swung into action as soon as four cases of infection were confirmed in Kozhikode. The state government has planned a preventive approach to check the spread of infections. Kerala’s earlier battle against the Nipah virus, feared due to its high mortality rate, had gained international fame.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George has said the state is aiming for “proactive detection” of infection before cases are confirmed in labs. The health administration monitors clinical symptoms so that alerts can be issued in advance.
The state administration, Ms. George said, is focusing on early contact tracing of infected people and isolating those with symptoms.
Nipah infection can cause problems ranging from breathing problems to fatal encephalitis, which means inflammation of the brain. Symptoms include fever, headache, coughing, difficulty breathing and vomiting. As the infection becomes more severe, patients may experience disorientation, seizures and may also sleep in a coma.
Replying to a question in the Assembly today, the Health Minister said seven village panchayats – Atanchery, Maruthonkara, Tiruvallur, Kuttiyadi, Kayakkodi, Villyapalli and Kavilumpara – in Kozhikode district have been declared containment zones. Creating containment zones is part of the state government’s strategy to contain the spread of infections.
To protect children from infection, Education Minister V Sivankutty has instructed schools to opt for online exams.
Teams from the National Institute of Virology would reach the southern state today to conduct a survey. A team of epidemiologists from Chennai is also on its way to Kerala.
Ms. George said in the Assembly today that the virus strain in Kerala is the Bangladesh variant that spreads from person to person and has a high mortality rate. However, she said this strain is less contagious.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked people not to panic and instead take precautionary measures. “Everyone must strictly follow the instructions of the health department and the police and fully cooperate with the restrictions,” he has said.
The Union Health Ministry has confirmed that two people have died from the infection so far – one on August 30 and the other on Monday.
The zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans and then between humans. Fruit bats, also called flying foxes, are hosts for the Nipah virus.
