11 contacts symptomatic: Govt
At least 11 of the 251 people on the contact list of the 12-year-old boy, who succumbed to Nipah virus in Kozhikode district on Sunday, have been admitted to hospital with symptoms, Kerala health minister Veena George said on Monday. At least 54 of the total contacts are believed to be in the high-risk category, she added.
The minister’s remarks came as the Union health ministry directed the state government to shift all high-risk contacts of Nipah-infected patients to a quarantine facility to prevent further spread.
In a letter to Kerala chief secretary VP Joy, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the state will have to implement strict surveillance measures to track each suspected case.
Briefing reporters in Kozhikode on the situation, George said the samples of all 11 people — mainly the deceased’s mother, three relatives and seven healthcare workers — were sent for testing to the National Institute
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of Virology (NIV) in Pune and the results of eight of them are likely to be available late at night. The condition of all the 11 people is stable, she said. “There are 38 persons in isolation at the Kozhikode Medical College hospital of which 11 have shown symptoms. Samples of eight persons have been sent to Pune NIV for testing,” the minister said.
“Hectic efforts are on to trace the source of infection. Experts have recovered half-eaten rambutan fruits from the premises of the boy who died on Sunday. They also found a fruit bat habitat near their house,” the minister said. Fruit bats are considered to be the main carrier and reservoir of the virus.
“We have traced all contacts of the boy and quarantined them. The next week is crucial for us. We have to keep utmost vigil,” the minister said, adding that the health department will also look into some of the earlier deaths, if any, with the same symptoms.
The minister said that Pune NIV is planning to set up a special laboratory at the medical college hospital here to facilitate quick testing. The health department is also planning to launch a mobile application to check the exact situation of Nipah and contain any false information.
“Different teams are at work to find out the source of infection. If needed, more experts will be deployed. Since the whole state is following strict physical distancing and masking, the chances of high transmission are low. But we can’t lower our guard,” she said.
The state animal husbandry department has also started examining domestic animals and pets in the area and collected blood samples in this regard.
“The blood and serum samples of the two goats, owned by the child’s family, will be tested by the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal,” she said, adding that a team from Bhopal NIV will reach Kozhikode on Wednesday.