THE Narendra Modi government has rushed a team of National Centre for Disease Control to the southern state of Kerala after the state government confirmed the death of a 12-year-old boy from Nipah virus at a hospital in Kozhikode in the state.
The team was set to reach Kerala on Sunday (5) and provide it with technical support.
Kerala health minister Veena George, who confirmed the boy’s death, said Nipah virus is spread by saliva of fruit bats.
“Unfortunately, the boy passed away at 5 in the morning. The condition of the child was critical on Saturday night. We formed various teams and have started the tracing. Steps have been taken to isolate those who were the primary contacts of the boy.” She said, adding the infection was confirmed by the National Institute of Virology in Pune in the western state of Maharashtra.
“Three samples-- plasma, CSF and serum-- were found infected. He was admitted to the hospital with a heavy fever four days ago. But on Saturday, his condition became worse. We had sent his samples for testing the day before yesterday,” the minister said.
George, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said none of the close contacts of the deceased showed any symptoms till now and the health department has already traced out his contacts.
“There is nothing to worry about. The health department is closely following up the situation. Special officers have been posted and special teams were formed. The patient was first taken to a private hospital, then to the medical college and from there again shifted to a private hospital. So we have traced all his contacts. The friends he played with in his locality, his cousins and others, the health department had completed the identification and tracing of all these contacts,” she added.
The minister also asked the neighbouring Kannur and Malappuram districts to remain cautious. Police have cordoned off an area of three-kilometre radius around the house of the boy.
In the wake of the virus resurfacing in Kerala, the central government has advised some immediate public health measures which include active case search in the family, village and areas with similar topography, especially in Malappuram.
The first Nipah virus disease outbreak in South India was reported from Kozhikode district of Kerala in May, 2018.
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