Latest news with #Nipah-related
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
9 wards in Valanchery, Marakkara, Edayur, Athavanand made containment zones
Nine wards in four local bodies were declared containment zones in the wake of a woman from Valanchery contracting Nipah virus. District Collector V.R. Vinod declared Thonikkal (division 1), Thaniyappan Kunnu (division 2), Kakkattupara (division 3) and Kavumpuram (division 4) of the Valanchery municipality as containment zones. Besides, Marakkara panchayat's Majeed Kand (ward 9), Malayil (ward 11) and Neeradi (ward 12), Edayur panchayat's Valarthapadi (ward 17) and Athavanad panchayat's Karipol (ward 6) were also declared containment zones. People have been proscribed from gathering in these wards. Shops and business establishments will be allowed to work from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Madrasas and anganwadis in those wards will remain closed. However, medical shops will be exempted from the restrictions. Mr. Vinod advised people across the district to wear masks when they go out of their homes and to avoid crowding. Students and teachers were asked to wear masks in tuition centres. District Medical Officer R. Renuka advised people to approach a registered medical practitioner when they develop signs of fever and other symptoms. 'Never eat fruits bitten by birds, bats or any other animals,' said Dr. Renuka. 'Avoid visiting patients in hospitals now,' she said. People can contact the control room at 0483-2736320 or 0483-2736326 for Nipah-related queries
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Kerala woman tests positive for Nipah
Malappuram: A woman in Kerala's Malappuram on Thursday tested positive for Nipah, the deadly zoonotic virus that causes infections in human beings and is time and again striking in and around the district in the past few years, officials said. The 42-year-old woman had been suffering from fever and Nipah-related symptoms for a while. According to the officials, the first two tests done at a Kozhikode government laboratory came out negative, but with no respite in her health condition, a third test turned positive. Soon, the sample was sent to the virology laboratory in Pune, and the result, received on Thursday, came out positive. The woman is now admitted to a hospital in Perinthalmanna near here and has been isolated for a while. The health authorities were on high alert as Malappuram has been repeatedly reporting Nipah cases since the first outbreak in 2018. In 2024, two Nipah-positive patients - both youths - passed away, and hence, the health authorities are always on their toes when patients come with persistent fever. Two immediate family members of the 42-year-old woman had just recovered from a long bout of fever, and the death of their pet dog recently had kept the health professionals on their toes. The health officials in the district are now working to find out the contact list of the woman. They will also come out with detailed protocols to be followed in the locality.
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.
