Death toll in Nipah virus outbreak mounts to 10, 116 people put under quarantine

‘She did more than what a duty nurse usually does for a patient’: Nurse Lini’s husband

Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja on Tuesday confirmed 12 positive cases of Nipah virus infection in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala. While ten succumbed to the infection, two of them are critically ill and are undergoing treatment in the hospital. “We had sent 18 cases for testing for Nipah virus out of which 12 have tested positive, rest six are negative. The victims from Malappuram were reportedly in contact with those infected in Kozhikode,” she added. Of the 10 deaths, seven were reported from Kozhikode and three from Malappuram districts.

Shailaja assured that the government had taken measures to control the situation. “All the periphery hospitals of the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital are fully equipped to tackle the fever. All those who have fever need not rush to the medical college. Patients samples have been sent to Pune and results are awaited,” she said.

She further said that no new cases of Nipah virus infection had been reported from the state in the last 24 hours and the World Health Organisation had also been informed about the outbreak in Kerala. The state government sanctioned an emergency fund of Rs 20 lakh to the Kozhikode Medical College to tackle menace.

The Union Health Ministry has asked people not to panic and said the outbreak, which appeared to be a “localised” occurrence, was ‘unlikely’ to spread as early and efficient containment measures were being taken. Union Health Minister J P Nadda said the situation was under control.

Nipah virus infection: First-ever case, symptoms, treatment

A National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) team, dispatched from the Centre, visited Changarothu and Perambra, areas from where the virus was first reported. Taking stock of the situation, NCDC director Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh said that there was no need for people to panic. He also added that the state health department had taken all precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

A high-level team from All India Insitute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, also visited Kozhikode Medical college on Tuesday and gave the doctors a protocol to be followed in the current situation.

What is Nipah virus?

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed Dr Kafeel Khan’s offer to serve in Kozhikode district affected by the outbreak of Nipah and said the state government was happy to accept the voluntary service of dedicated doctors. Dr Kafeel Khan was one of the accused in the BRD medical college infant tragedy case in Uttar Pradesh.

Dr Kafeel Khan’s request to serve in Nipah virus affected regions has come to the attention of CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Even in the face of danger, many doctors continue to toil for the benefit of society, without being mindful of their own well-being. Dr Khan is one among them.

— CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) May 22, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

With the increasing number of deaths being reported from Kerala, people in the state are alert and taking preventive steps like wearing masks, gloves in order to avoid the infection. Alarmed with outbreak in Kerala, the Tamil Nadu government has also stepped up surveillance in the border districts of the state.