Kerala On Nipah Alert! Six Districts Under Surveillance After Virus Claims Second Death In Palakkad

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Kerala's Palakkad district has confirmed a second case of Nipah virus after a 58-year-old man from Kumaramputhur near Mannarkkad tested positive following his demise. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna before his death.

In response, health authorities have issued an alert to hospitals across six districts, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad, and Thrissur, PTI reported.

Contact tracing was immediately started to find those who were in contact with the deceased. Forty-six people are on the contact list. Information, including CCTV, has been collected. A route map has been prepared based on the available information. A family tree has also been prepared, said the state health minister Veena George in a statement.

The minister has also instructed officials to step up the response team, considering the seriousness of the case.

Field-level activities have been intensified in the area. Fever surveillance is also continuing. Further monitoring will be carried out, including the mobile tower location. The minister also directed the team to be strengthened in case another case is found.

The Nipah virus contact list now includes a total of 543 people.

Veena George also said that an alert has been issued to hospitals in 6 districts in the wake of the second Nipah case in Palakkad district. Hospitals have been directed to report any patients presenting with fever and symptoms resembling Nipah, including encephalitis and high-grade fever, the minister's office said.

Authorities have urged people in Palakkad and Malappuram districts to avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, especially under the current circumstances. Visits to friends or relatives receiving treatment should be strictly limited, officials said. Only one person is allowed to accompany a patient as an attendant. Both healthcare workers and those coming to the hospital, including patients and their companions, are required to wear masks at all times, an official release said.

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