A 38-year-old lady of it Nattukkal in Kerala, Palakkad district, has been found positive to Nipah that is a deadly virus and the health official took emergency measures by conducting a contact-tracing and containment measures. The lady is under treatment in a localized hospital in Perinthalmanna in the neighbouring Malappuram district. On Friday, health officials confirmed that her test samples submitted to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune turned out to be positive of Nipah infection.
President of the local panchayat Muhammed Saleem KP verified the diagnosis and said that the results of the tests were officially passed on by the district collector. Following the confirmed case, the authorities have acted on speed to control the areas by declaring them containment zones. The ward number 8 is a containment zone like the other portions of the other neighboring wards within three-kilometre distance, said Saleem.
The district health officials have already pinpointed places of visit by the patient before she was diagnosed with the illness and their efforts are being done to trace on those she has been in contact with. An official conversant with the issue said about 100 people are believed to be high-risk contacts of the patient.
Health Minister Veena George has assured that normal administrations of the Nipah virus calling were being undertaken in three districts including Palakkad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode, earlier than the test outcomes were discharged. These will be in the form of stern surveillance, contact tracing and promotion of awareness to the general population.
The minister said, as part of our preparedness, 26 teams have been put in each of the three districts. Such teams are supposed to find the main and secondary contacts, monitor the symptoms of people under quarantine, and make sure that people are informed well about the precautions that need to be taken.
The recent incidence has generated new issues relating to re-emerging Nipah in Kerala in the periodic manner, necessitating the need of constant vigilance and quick response measures.
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