Deadly Nipah Virus Grips Kerala: 1 Death Confirmed, Dozens Under Surveillance As State Declares High Alert

As Kerala continues to face the brunt of the Nipah virus outbreak, the authorities put out measures to tackle the spread.

After battling the deadly COVID-19 virus for over four years, Kerala is now facing a fresh health crisis with the Nipah virus outbreak. In response, the state government has swiftly implemented strict measures from declaring containment zones to issuing public health advisories in a proactive effort to curb the spread and protect residents.

Nipah Virus Grips Kerala – State Put On High Alert

One of the patients who was reported positive for the Nipah virus continues to deal with the intensity of the infection. The patient in north Kerala’s Palakkad continues to remain critical and uncertain. The state health minister, Veena George, has announced that all possible treatment is being provided.

The reported Nipah-infected patient is a 38-year-old woman who is a native of Thachanattukara. The patient is currently undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College in Kozhikode.

Post the episode of a Malappuram native succumbing to the virus last week, concerns over the critical health of the woman were raised. Speaking on the spread of the infection, the health minister of the state said that the woman has been administered monoclonal antibody treatment as per the protocols asked for, and the second dose of the antibody was administered on Monday morning.

While speaking to reporters, the health minister informed that this case is the first case of the Nipah virus in Palakkad. The health condition of the patient still remains critical, but what poses relief is that all possible treatments that are available are being provided to her. George informed while telling the total tally of the cases and possible contacts that out of all the contacts, 173 contacts have been found so far that are related to the woman, out of whom 100 were first-hand contacts and 73 remained secondary.

Out of the total tally, 52 are considered at high risk and 48 are considered low risk, she said. By far, in the testing, five samples are negative, and four more are yet to be confirmed.

Nipah Outbreak In Kerala: What Is The Government Doing?

Besides this, there were other precautions too that are being taken, in the course of which a distance of three-kilometre radius around the patient’s house has been declared as a containment zone, along with this, rigorous surveillance is being carried out by the authorities to help track down the spread of the virus.

The authorities called an in-depth level meeting for review at the Palakkad Medical College, which was attended by major dignitaries like the district collector, police chief, and other notable health officials.

The minister has warned of taking strict action against anyone who is promoting the spread of the virus.

Nipah Virus Death Cases

Last week on Saturday, the intensity of the virus led to the death of an 18-year-old girl. The patient from Malappuram’s Chettiyarangadi succumbed to death after being administered treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. In the test, it was found that the woman had succumbed to the Nipah infection, which was later confirmed by Pune’s National Institute of Virology (NIV).

What Is Nipah Virus

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines the Nipah virus as an infection that is a zoonotic illness that is known to be transmitted from animals to people, and it also has the potential to be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from one person to another.

The virus is known to pose a threat to health as it prompts a range of illnesses in people who deal with the brunt of the virus infection. The illness may manifest as an asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness; the worst side of it could be fatal encephalitis.

The virus is not just limited to humans but can even pose a threat to animals, as it can cause diseases in animals such as pigs, which can have other parallel impacts.

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