A new case of Nipah virus was confirmed in Kerala on Friday, causing increased anxiety and prompt response in three districts of the state. A 38-year-old female from Thachanattukara in Palakkad district has tested positive, according to an official release. This led the district administration to alert the public and health officials to be extremely cautious.
The patient who was infected is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Malappuram district, according to official sources. Samples from the suspected case were also sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for confirmation. The confirmed case in Palakkad has fanned fears of an outbreak in a state which has witnessed repeated Nipah outbreaks in recent years.
In the meantime, precautionary measures have been rolled out. A total of 58 individuals have been identified as primary contacts, the release said. Wards within a three-kilometre radius of the infected person's house have been declared as containment zones by the District Collector.
In Thachanattukara Grama Panchayat, Wards 7 (Kundoor kunnu), 8 (Palode), 9 (Parammal), and 11 (Champarambu) have been designated. In Karimpuzha Grama Panchayat, Wards 17 (Attassheri) and 18 (Cholakkurissi) have also been designated as containment zones.
Strict restrictions have been imposed in these localities. The district collector has asserted that public gatherings are strictly banned. The shops can open only between 8 am and 6 pm, but no exceptions for medical stores.
"Tuition centres, anganwadis, madrasas, and other educational institutions have to stay shut, but online classes are permitted. Access of outsiders into the containment zones will be strictly controlled. The families will be required to report to the local Station House Officer and health officials any ceremonies like marriages or funerals," the release added.
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Individuals within the containment areas with symptoms, or those requiring dialysis, cancer care, or undergoing other major health problems, will be allowed to go to hospitals for the necessary treatment.
Health staff and police alone are permitted entry into these areas, and that as well under the strictest adherence to safety protocols. Inhabitants of the containment areas are to wear N95 masks at all times. The district collector has also asked the public of the district to stay six feet away, use face masks, observe good hand hygiene, and stay away from unnecessary meetings, as well as not visit hospitals unless unavoidable. The state health department had issued an alert in Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad districts earlier in the day following two suspected cases reported through regular testing at government medical colleges in Kozhikode and Malappuram.
"We have already enhanced preventive steps in accordance with the Nipah protocol," George said after chairing an emergency meeting on Friday morning. She said that 26 special teams have been tasked to work in each of the three districts to conduct contact tracing, monitoring of symptoms, and public awareness.
As part of the containment process, the 6th and 8th floors of Palakkad Medical College have also been occupied by the district administration for isolation and treatment. As a precautionary measure for preventing the spread of the Nipah virus, a part of the Pay Ward in Kozhikode Medical College has also been requisitioned to admit suspected cases.
State and district helplines have been established, and the police have been requested to help trace persons who could have been exposed. Public announcements in each of the three districts are being made to keep the local people informed. Minister Veena George also requested officials to check if unnatural or unexplained deaths in the affected localities have been reported in recent weeks--an initial indicator of suspected Nipah spread.
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