The health authorities in Kerala heaved a sigh of relief on Monday as the serum samples of eleven people on the contact list of a 15-year-old boy from Pandikkad who died of Nipah virus at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, on Sunday, tested negative.
Health Minister Veena George said here in the evening that those tested negative for Nipah included the boy’s parents, two hospital employees from Palakkad, and two others from Thiruvananthapuram.
Nine samples had been sent to the virology laboratory at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, and four samples to the Institute of Advanced Virology, Thonnakkal, Thiruvananthapuram.
The number of people on the list of contacts with the Nipah victim increased to 406 with the health officials using different methods, including surveillance camera footage, to identify the people who came in contact with the boy directly or indirectly between July 10 and 19. As many as 194 of them were in high risk category. Ms. George said 139 of those in high risk group were health workers.
She said 15 people on the contact list had been admitted to different hospitals and were under treatment. “Those who tested negative and have recovered from fever and other symptoms will be discharged. However, they will have to remain in isolation as per the protocol,” the Minister said.
On the contact list, there were four persons from Thiruvananthapuram and two from Palakkad. The samples being tested at Thonnakkal lab were those in quarantine in Thiruvananthapuram.
7,239 houses covered
Health officials have intensified their field work as part of a joint effort to prevent a Nipah outbreak. Health workers visited 6,642 houses in Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats on Monday. While 331 fever cases were reported at Pandikkad, 108 cases were reported at Anakkayam. At Pandikkad, only four of the 331 fever cases were on the primary contact list of the Nipah victim.
District Medical Officer R. Renuka said the serum samples of those four cases were collected for testing.
Health officials covered 7,239 houses at Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats since Sunday. The parents and teachers of the boy’s class convened a meeting on Monday. The officials assured counselling support to the children if needed.
The Minister said the boy who died of Nipah reportedly had eaten a hog plum (ambazhanga) from a plot infested with bats. “Preliminary investigations show that this could be the source of infection,” she said. However, she said further investigations were needed to confirm the source of infection.
Published - July 22, 2024 08:46 pm IST
