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The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Preventive measures ramped up as Nipah patient remains critical
The Health department has ramped up preventive measures in and around Valanchery after a 42-year-old woman tested positive for Nipah virus. The woman remains critical at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna. A sample from a cat that died near the woman's house will be sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) lab in Bhopal for Nipah virus testing. Minister for Health Veena George has directed District Collector V.R. Vinod and District Medical Officer R. Renuka to initiate action under the Disaster Management Act and Public Health Act against people who refuse to share information with health officials. Ms. George said here on Friday that 49 people on the contact list of the Nipah affected woman were put under observation. Five of them have been isolated at Government Medical College Hospital at Manjeri, and a nurse from Ernakulam district who works at a Perinthalmanna hospital is also under isolation. However, all of them tested negative on Friday, providing relief to the State health team. As many as 12 of those under observation are the woman's close relatives. Ms. George said that 45 people, including the 12 family members, were in high risk category. Three of them were from the primary health centre at Valanchery, one from a doctor's clinic at Valanchery, 25 at the Perinthalmanna hospital, two from two laboratories at Valanchery and two from a medical shop at Valanchery. Four people in low risk category too are under observation, said the Minister. The district administration has made masks mandatory in places where people gather. The Health department has released a route map of the Nipah-affected woman's movements starting from April 25, when she developed fever. The Minister said that the Ente Keralam show being held at Kottakkunnu, Malappuram, would continue under strict guidelines. But the programmes of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Sports Minister V. Abdurahman to be held on May 12 and 10 respectively have been postponed. The Minister reviewed the situation at a meeting of officials and people's representatives at the Collectorate here on Friday. MLAs P. Ubaidullah, Abdul Hameed, Najeeb Kanthapuram and K.P.A. Majeed attended the meeting. MLAs Abid Husain Thangal, Kurukkoli Moideen and U.A. Latheef attended it in online mode. Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rajan N. Khobragade, District Collector V.R. Vinod, National Health Mission State director Vinay Goyal, Health department additional director K.P. Reetha, Disaster Management Deputy Collector Swati Chandramohan, and District Medical Officer R. Renuka were among those who attended the meeting.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Nipah resurfaces in Malappuram with woman testing positive
A 42-year-old woman from Valanchery in the district has tested positive for Nipah virus. She is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Perinthalmanna, prompting health officials to take preventive action and raise alert levels. The woman was admitted to the hospital a week ago with Nipah-related symptoms, including fever and convulsions. Health Minister Veena George said here on Thursday that emergency surveillance measures were being imposed to prevent the spread of the virus. The source of the woman's infection remains unclear. Health officials started investigating possible links to consuming local fruit as she has limited outdoor exposure. Health officials are tracing the woman's contacts from the past week to prevent potential spread. Initial relief came as seven high-risk individuals closely connected to her tested negative for Nipah on Thursday. The district administration has advised people to wear masks in public, especially in crowded areas, to prevent the spread of the virus. Restrictions have been imposed within a three-km radius of the woman's residence in Valanchery municipality. Partial restrictions will also be in place in neighbouring areas of Marakkara and Edayur panchayats. District Medical Officer (DMO) R. Renuka said people should avoid eating fruits partly eaten by birds and bats. Fruit-eating bats have been found to be the main carrier of Nipah virus. Nipah was reported for the first time in Kerala in 2018. Since then, Nipah outbreaks were reported almost every year, mostly in Malabar. Last year, Malappuram district witnessed two Nipah deaths when a 14-year-old boy from Pandikkad and a 24-year-old man from neighbouring Wandoor succumbed to the deadly virus. Nipah virus is a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus classified among the World Health Organization's top ten priority pathogens. The State medical board has recommended administering monoclonal antibodies to the patient, pending hospital ethics committee approval. The patient's relatives have the option to transfer her to the Government Medical College Hospital, Manjeri, if they wanted, said the Minister. The Minister advised the people to limit hospital visits. She said masks would be mandatory at the Ente Keralam show being held at Kottakkunnu as part of the government's fourth anniversary celebrations. The district administration has opened a helpline in the wake of the Nipah confirmation. The numbers are 0483- 2736320 and 2736326.
