Latest news with #Nipah
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Patient technically Nipah-free: Min
Kozhikode: The 42-year-old woman who tested positive for Nipah virus at the Valanchery municipality in Malappuram on May 8 is now technically free of infection, as two of her samples have tested negative, health minister Veena George said on Friday. The patient is still under treatment at the Perinthalmanna EMS cooperative hospital. The minister said although the patient's condition is still serious, her vital parameters have been steadily improving. The patient has been out of ventilator support for the past 12 days and was breathing on her own without any respiratory support. Her heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation were all within normal limits, and internal organs such as the liver and kidneys were functioning normally. While the patient is still unconscious, there were signs of gradual neurological improvement. Eye movement was observed occasionally and over the past two days, there was movement in the jaw and minor responses to pain. Follow-up MRI scans showed signs of healing from the impacts caused by the infection in the brain, the minister said. Authorities are hopeful that there won't be any new cases, as one full incubation period passed since the first case was detected, meaning if there were any infections from the Nipah-positive patient, they would have manifested by now. However, helplines and support systems will remain in place for a few more days as a precaution. There is optimism that the patient may return home in a few weeks with full physical and mental recovery.
India Today
a day ago
- Health
- India Today
Nipah patient in Kerala declared virus-free, recovering says Health Minister
Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Friday confirmed that the state's sole Nipah virus patient in Malappuram district has tested negative in two consecutive samples and is now considered 42-year-old woman from Ward 2 of Valanchery municipality, who tested positive for Nipah on May 8, was undergoing treatment at EMS Cooperative Hospital in Perinthalmanna.'The patient has been off ventilator support for the past 12 days and is now breathing independently. Internal organs like the liver and kidneys are also functioning normally. Although the patient has not yet regained full consciousness, brain activity is gradually showing signs of improvement," said Health Minister George in an official According to the hospital's intensive care team the MRI scans of the patient are showing healing in areas previously damaged by the virus. Subtle responses to pain and movements in the eyes and jaw have also been were hopeful the patient could be discharged in the coming weeks with full physical and mental recovery, George minister said that the incubation period for the virus has now passed without any new cases being reported. However, support services and helplines will continue for a few more days as a patient continues to be under close observation by a full critical care team at the EMS Cooperative George emphasised that the patient received advanced treatment, including Remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies provided by the Indian Council of Medical Research. "When Nipah first struck Kerala, the fatality rate exceeded 90 per cent. However, since 2021 with use of antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibody treatment, the rate has dropped, falling to 33 per cent in 2023," she by Debosmita Maity Must Watch
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Kerala Nipah patient virus-free, health improving, says Minister Veena George
Malappuram: A patient infected with the Nipah virus in this district has tested negative for the virus in two separate samples and is now considered technically free of the infection, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Friday. In a statement, she said although the critical stage of the illness has not yet been fully overcome, the patient's health indicators are steadily improving. "For the past 12 days, the patient has been breathing without the help of a ventilator. The patient is now breathing entirely atmospheric air and does not require any respiratory support," George said. The patient is being treated at the EMS Cooperative Hospital in Perinthalmanna. The minister spoke with Dr Jithesh from the hospital's intensive care unit to assess the patient's current condition. The case of Nipah virus was confirmed in a 42-year-old woman from Ward 2 of Valanchery municipality on May 8. The minister said the patient's basic health indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation are all within normal range. "Internal organs like the liver and kidneys are also functioning normally. Although the patient has not yet regained full consciousness, brain activity is gradually showing signs of improvement," the minister said. Doctors have observed eye and jaw movements, along with small responses to pain in recent days. MRI scans show that brain injuries caused by the virus are healing. "There is hope that the patient may be able to return home in the coming weeks, with a full recovery both physically and mentally," George said. She said the full incubation period -- the maximum time the virus would take to show symptoms in another person after contact -- has passed since the first case was found. However, helpline and support services will remain active for a few more days. The patient remains under the care of the full critical care team at Perinthalmanna EMS Cooperative Hospital. The team includes doctors Jithesh, Vijay, Mujeeb Rahman, and pulmonologist Dharitri. Following guidelines from the State Nipah Medical Board, doctors decided not to move the critically ill patient and instead provided specialist care at the same hospital. At one point, some doctors had to go into quarantine. But the medical board allowed them to continue treating the patient under strict infection control measures. Doctors say that if recovery continues, the patient could be moved out of the intensive care unit in the coming days and gradually return to normal life. If successful, this would be Kerala's second time successfully treating the first confirmed Nipah case. The minister said when Nipah was first reported in Kerala, the death rate was above 90 per cent, similar to global trends. "However, since 2021, the use of antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibody treatment has helped reduce deaths. In 2023, the fatality rate in Kerala dropped to 33 per cent," she said. Even so, saving the first patient in an outbreak is still uncommon, George said. In this case, the patient received strong medical care along with treatment using Remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies supplied by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). PTI
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Kerala Nipah patient virus-free, health improving, says Minister Veena George
A patient infected with the Nipah virus in Malappuram district of Kerala has tested negative for the virus in two separate samples and is now considered technically free of the infection, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Friday (May 30, 2025). In a statement, she said although the critical stage of the illness has not yet been fully overcome, the patient's health indicators are steadily improving. "For the past 12 days, the patient has been breathing without the help of a ventilator. The patient is now breathing entirely atmospheric air and does not require any respiratory support," Ms. George said. The patient is being treated at the EMS Cooperative Hospital in Perinthalmanna. The Minister spoke with Dr. Jithesh from the hospital's intensive care unit to assess the patient's current condition. The case of Nipah virus was confirmed in a 42-year-old woman from Ward 2 of Valanchery municipality on May 8. The Minister said the patient's basic health indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation are all within normal range. "Internal organs like the liver and kidneys are also functioning normally. Although the patient has not yet regained full consciousness, brain activity is gradually showing signs of improvement," the Minister said. Doctors have observed eye and jaw movements, along with small responses to pain in recent days. MRI scans show that brain injuries caused by the virus are healing. "There is hope that the patient may be able to return home in the coming weeks, with a full recovery both physically and mentally," Ms. George said. She said the full incubation period – the maximum time the virus would take to show symptoms in another person after contact – has passed since the first case was found. However, helpline and support services will remain active for a few more days. The patient remains under the care of the full critical care team at Perinthalmanna EMS Cooperative Hospital. The team includes doctors Jithesh, Vijay, Mujeeb Rahman, and pulmonologist Dharitri. Following guidelines from the State Nipah Medical Board, doctors decided not to move the critically ill patient and instead provided specialist care at the same hospital. At one point, some doctors had to go into quarantine. But the medical board allowed them to continue treating the patient under strict infection control measures. Doctors say that if recovery continues, the patient could be moved out of the intensive care unit in the coming days and gradually return to normal life. If successful, this would be Kerala's second time successfully treating the first confirmed Nipah case. The Minister said when Nipah was first reported in Kerala, the death rate was above 90%, similar to global trends. "However, since 2021, the use of antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibody treatment has helped reduce deaths. In 2023, the fatality rate in Kerala dropped to 33%," she said. Even so, saving the first patient in an outbreak is still uncommon, George said. In this case, the patient received strong medical care along with treatment using Remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies supplied by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
United News of India
2 days ago
- Health
- United News of India
Relief in Nipah virus; observation period of 166 contact people has ended: Kerala Health Minister
Malappuram, May 29 (UNI) Kerala Health Minister Veena George has said the quarantine and observation period of all the 166 people who came in contact with a woman who tested positive for Nipah Virus in the district ended on Thursday. An online review meeting was chaired by Health Minister Veena George regarding the Nipah outbreak. Out of the 166 people, 65 were in the high risk category and 101 were in the low-risk category. The results of 114 people who tested positive were negative. However, the tested positive 42- year-old woman is continuing her treatment in a hospital at Perinthalmanna. She said "As a precautionary measure, 28 people with symptoms were admitted to hospitals and health workers visited 4,749 houses as part of a fever survey and 10 people were provided with psychological support over the phone". It was on May 8, a 42-year old woman of Valanchery was admitted with suspected Nipah Virus, with high fever and breathing problems. The infection was confirmed after sample testing at Kozhikode microbiology Lab and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. This is the third outbreak of Nipah Virus reported from Malappuram and seventh outbreak in Kerala. UNI AK RN
