Nipah cases in Kerala climb to six; index case sample tests positive

IQRAA Hospital in Kozhikode, where the 47-year-old died, had collected his throat swab after his death and sent it to NIV-Pune. The other victim who died of Nipah on September 11 got infected from the index case during a visit to the same hospital. Later, two family members of the 47-year-old, a health worker of the hospital and another person, who sought treatment at the same hospital, tested positive, indicating that the virus journey this time started with the 47-year-old.

A central team visited the house of the index case in Maruthonkara village to study the source of infection. They also visited a farm land, which the index case had reportedly visited on August 20, two days before he sought treatment at a primary health centre. A team from the National Institute of Virology conducted a bats survey in the region. They also examined fruit-bearing trees and plants in the vicinity of the index case and interacted with the local people to get more details about the places the 47-year-old had visited and activities he had engaged in the days before he got infected.

According to an official communication, of the 1,080 persons on the contact list of the six confirmed cases, 297 are in the high-risk category. The index case alone has 417 persons on the contact list. At the same time, 30 persons in high-risk category on Friday tested negative for the infection. On Thursday, 11 samples had tested negative.

Feroke municipality and seven divisions of Kozhikode municipal corporation have been declared containment zones since the person who tested positive on Friday hails from that region. Strict restrictions are in force in nine panchayats in the district. All educational institutions in Kozhikode district will remain closed for the next one week and functions have been banned till September 24.