People in Malappuram district have been asked to wear masks in the wake of a 15-year-old boy, from Pandikkad near Manjeri, testing positive for the deadly Nipah virus. The boy is under treatment at Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.
District Collector V. R. Vinod has imposed restrictions for Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats. When the boy hails from Pandikkad, the school he studies is in Anakkayam. Schools, colleges, madrasas, angawadis, and tuition centres in those panchayats will be closed.
People have been asked to avoid gatherings even for functions scheduled before. Marriage and other social gatherings should be restricted to minimal number of guests.
Shops will be allowed to function only between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. in Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats. However, medical shops will be exempted. Cinema theatres will not be allowed to function.
Minister for Health Veena George, supervising the government response to the Nipah case, said that people in the district should wear mask when going out. Students and teachers should wear mask at school and colleges.
The health authorities advised social-distancing in public places. “People should stay away from all kinds of functions, including marriage and other celebrations, until further orders,” said District Medical Officer R. Renuka.
Dr. Renuka said that people should approach a doctor when they display fever symptoms, and they should never resort to self-treatment. “Fruit suspected to be bitten or partly eaten by bats, birds or any other animal should never be consumed. People should wash vegetables and fruits well before consumption,” she said.
As many as 214 people who had contacts with the boy are under surveillance. Sixty out of them belong to the high-risk category and their serum samples will be tested for Nipah. The health authorities are busy preparing a fool-proof contact list, and arrangements have been made to offer counselling for those who need it. Health Director is expected to reach Malappuram on July 21.
The authorities published the Nipah patient’s route map on Saturday night. The patient had reached Bright Tuition Centre at Pandikkad on CPB Bus at 7.18 a.m. on July 11. He visited Dr. Vijayan’s Clinic at 8.30 a.m. on July 12, the paediatric OP at PKM Hospital at 7.30 a.m. on July 13, the Emergency wing and OP at PKM Hospital at 8 p.m. on July 15, and the Emergency ICU of Moulana Hospital, Perinthalmanna, on the same day.
The Minister has asked those who were present at those places when the patient was there to contact the control room. Anyone showing symptoms such as high fever, headache, cough, dizziness, myalgia, and vomiting should contact the control room. Those showing respiratory illness should take extreme care.
Nipah control room can be contacted at 0483- 2732010, 2732050, 2732060, 2732090.
Published - July 21, 2024 10:52 am IST
