 "Kerala on alert after 2 suspected Nipah deaths in Kozhikode district")
Kozhikode district in Kerala is on high alert following the third outbreak of the Nipah virus (NiV) in the state in five years. Two persons have succumbed to fever in the district since August 30, and several others are exhibiting symptoms of a viral infection.
On Tuesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed that the two deaths were caused by NiV. He also added that four patients, currently under surveillance, are suspected of being infected with NiV, and their samples have been dispatched for testing.
The state has initiated precautionary measures, including contact tracing, isolation of suspected contacts, and treatment for those with suspected cases.
The state government has forwarded more samples from individuals suspected of being infected to the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Experts are expressing concern over the fatalities and suspected infections, as the death rate in the 2018 outbreak in Kozhikode reached as high as 91 per cent.
A team of experts from the central government has been dispatched to Kerala to assess the situation. The first NiV outbreak in Kerala occurred in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in June 2018, claiming 17 lives. Another outbreak in Pazhur village in Kozhikode in September 2021 resulted in one fatality.
State Health Minister Veena George announced on Tuesday that the first death due to a suspected Nipah infection was reported on August 30 in Maruthonkara village, with the second death occurring on Monday in Vatakara municipality. The condition of one of the affected individuals is critical, according to media reports.
“Initial assumptions indicate a suspected case of NiV. The entire health system in the district, both public and private, is on high alert. We have initiated all precautionary measures, including contact tracing,” said George.
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Approximately 75 people are currently on the contact tracing list. Five family members of the deceased individual in Maruthonkara are in isolation, and three of them are displaying Nipah symptoms, including a critically ill child. Family members of the second victim are also under isolation.
“Both of the deceased were admitted to the same hospital, and they had been in contact with each other earlier as well,” she said.
George conducted a high-level meeting in Kozhikode to assess the situation.
“Although NiV typically resides peacefully in certain bat populations, it becomes dangerous when it infects humans. The death rate recorded in the 2018 outbreak is alarmingly high at 91 per cent. However, unlike Covid, the virus does not spread to large numbers of people. Those who have close and personal contact with infected individuals are at the greatest risk, particularly after exposure to bodily fluids. Therefore, there is no need for the general public to be alarmed unless they have had close contact with a person suspected to have Nipah,” said Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association’s Covid task force.
He emphasised the importance of following public health advice to prevent mass panic and misinformation.
Health Minister George mentioned that only the Pune institute possesses the necessary facilities to confirm Nipah infection.
Viral FAQs
What is Nipah?
Nipah is a viral infection that mainly affects animals such as bats, pigs, dogs, and horses. Being zoonotic, it can jump to humans who come in contact with the infected animals and cause serious disease.
Signs & Symptoms
- It usually presents as fever and swelling of the brain called encephalitis
- Headache
- Breathing difficulties
- Cough and sore throat
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Muscle pain and severe weakness
In extreme cases, disorientation and seizures
Cure in sight?
There are no antivirals and there is only symptomatic management. Researchers are studying using monoclonal antibody treatment.