Kerala Nipah virus: After death in Malappuram, patient critical in Palakkad; officials on alert
The 38-year-old woman, a native of Thachanattukara, is undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College in Kozhikode, news agency PTI reported.
Concerns over the woman's critical condition were raised as a Malappuram native succumbed to the virus last week.
The health minister said that the woman has been given monoclonal antibody treatment according to the protocol, with the second dose administered on Monday morning.
"This is the first Nipah case reported in Palakkad. The patient's condition remains critical, but all available treatment is being provided," the minister told reporters after the meeting.
George said that a total of 173 contacts related to the woman have been identified, of whom 100 were primary and 73 secondary. Among them 52 are considered high-risk and 48 are low-risk, she added.
ALSO READ | Two suspected Nipah virus cases flagged Kerala, three districts on alert
Five samples have tested negative so far, and four more will be tested at the Manjeri Medical College on Monday.
Meanwhile, a three-kilometre radius around the patient's house has been declared a containment zone, with strict surveillance being carried out by the district police chief and district collector.
After chairing a high-level review meeting at the Palakkad Medical College, which was also attended by the district collector, police chief, and senior health officials, the minister warned of strict action against those spreading false information related to the virus outbreak.
On Saturday, the death of an 18-year-old girl was confirmed to have Nipah infection. The patient from Malappuram's Chettiyarangadi succumbed after receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode.
Initial tests suggested Nipah and the infection was subsequently confirmed by Pune's National Institute of Virology (NIV).
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted from animals to people, and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from one person to another.
The virus causes a range of illnesses in infected people, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. Nipah can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.
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