Nipah

One more test negative for Nipah, 134 fall under high-risk category

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Thursday that the Nipah virus test result for another individual who had been in contact with the 24-year-old man who died of the virus in Malappuram last week has come negative, bringing the total number of negative results to 37. She said this after a high-level meeting led by her reviewed the situation here. Speaking to reporters, the minister said that two more people have been added to the contact list, both of whom are in the high-risk category. Among those on the contact list, 81 are healthcare workers. The minister said a total of 177 people are on the primary contact list, while 90 are on the secondary contact list. Out of those on the primary list, 134 individuals fall under the high-risk category. "Today, two people with symptoms have been admitted to the Manjeri Medical College Hospital. Including these two, a total of six people are undergoing treatment at the Manjeri Medical College Hospital, while 21 people are being treate

Samples of 13 people tested Nipah negative, says Kerala health minister

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Tuesday that 13 people who came into contact with a 24-year-old man who died from the Nipah virus in Malappuram district last week have tested negative for the disease. Of the total 175 people on the contact list of the deceased man, the samples of 13 people, comprised in the high risk category, were tested negative at the Manjeri Government Medical College in Malappuram, she told reporters here. The minister said the health department is making all possible attempts to check the spread of the disease by identifying a maximum number of persons who had been in his contact, and giving them preventive medicine. "The samples of those in the high risk category and the persons showing any symptoms are being collected and sent for testing. Samples of more people will be collected today," she said. Though the chance of any spread of the disease is unlikely, the samples of every person showing symptoms would be tested, she said. George further sa

Nipah virus strikes back for the sixth time, Kerala on high alert

This time, the victim was a 24-year-old man from Malappuram's Thiruvali panchayat, around 20 kilometres away from Pandikkad, where a 14-year-old died in July this year due to Nipah

Nipah virus flares up in Kerala again: Here's what to know about symptoms

The brain-damaging virus, which can spread from bats and pigs to humans, has surfaced in Kerala several times in recent years

Nipah claims one life in Kerala; Maharashtra reports 28 Zika cases in 2024

Communicable disease scare grips people as Maharashtra reports 28 Zika cases this year

Suspected Nipah outbreak in Malappuram; high-level meeting convened

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday convened a high-level meeting to take steps to prevent a Nipah outbreak in the state. The meeting was convened in the wake of an outbreak of the virus infection that was suspected in northern Malappuram district. According to local media reports, a boy from Malappuram, who is under treatment in a private hospital in neighbouring Kozhikode, was suspected to have symptoms of Nipah and his samples were sent to a central lab for a detailed scientific examination. As per a statement from the Health Minister's office, the final test results were yet to be received but steps, as per the Nipah protocol, have already been initiated in the morning. The actions would be coordinated according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) formulated as per the government order with regard to Nipah prevention, it said. The health minister would reach Malappuram soon and lead the Nipah prevention activities, the statement added. Various higher officia

Kerala's lab develops non-infectious Nipah virus-like particles

To help in vaccine production and development of monoclonal antibodies

Kerala health min announces intensification of Nipah prevention in state

Minister George emphasized the importance of extreme caution and outlined several key preventive measures

ICMR detects Nipah virus presence in bats in Wayanad: Kerala govt

The Kerala government on Wednesday said that the ICMR has informed them about the presence of the Nipah virus in bats in the Wayanad district of the state, but there was no need to panic. State Health Minister Veena George said that the Indian Council of Medical Research gave this information based on its studies of the bat samples collected by it. "ICMR has said that it has found the presence of the virus in bats in Wayanad. It is a continuation of the ecosystem there," she said. The Nipah virus outbreak this year was in Kozhikode district, which neighbours Wayanad, and six persons were infected, of whom two had died. George said there was no need for the public to be afraid or panic as the information was being conveyed only to create awareness and to make people cautious and vigilant. She said that healthcare activities in connection with the virus were being coordinated and training was being provided to healthcare and medical professionals on how to deal with suspected cases

'Early detection, effective treatment helped control Nipah mortality rate'

Kerala Health Minister Veena George has said that the effective and timely intervention of the state health system brought down the Nipah fatality rate to 33 per cent in its fourth outbreak. She made the statement in the wake of all four Nipah-infected persons recovering from the zoonotic illness. The government on Friday announced that a nine-year-old boy, who was among those under treatment for Nipah in Kozhikode, had recovered. The virus strain seen in Kerala was the Bangladesh variant, which generally has a high mortality rate, George said in a Facebook post on Friday night. This variant can cause death among 70-90 per cent of the infected people. "However, we have lost the lives of two out of the total six affected persons in Kozhikode, which means we have a relatively low death rate of 33.3 per cent," the minister said. The relatively early identification of patients and treatment using antiviral drugs may be the reasons for the low mortality rate, she said. Another signifi

Kerala govt withdraws Nipah related restrictions in northern Kozhikode

The Kerala government has withdrawn containment in all zones and allied restrictions imposed in northern Kozhikode district as no new cases of Nipah virus have been reported here since September 16. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, District Collector A Geetha said all schools located in the areas that fell within containment zones would be opened and regular classes would commence on Wednesday. However, the collector urged people to continue their vigil against the virus infection, maintain social distancing and ensure the use of masks and sanitizer. All the institutions in the district had been closed since September 14, and online classes were being held after the virus outbreak was declared in the state on September 12. The district administration advised students to wear masks and carry hand sanitizers when going to their respective educational institutions. A total of six people were confirmed to have been infected by the virus till date, and of them, two died. Of the two deat

Nipah virus: Educational institutions to function normally in Kozhikode

The district administration advised students to wear masks and carry hand sanitizers when going to their respective educational institutions

Kerala to conduct surveillance study on Nipah virus: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

The Kerala government has decided to conduct a surveillance study on Nipah virus and directed its Health Department to prepare a detailed report on it, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday

Nipah outbreak under control but threat is not over yet, says Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday the Nipah outbreak reported from Kozhikode district is under control but the threat of the infectious disease is not over yet. He said that at present, it is not possible to rule out the chance of a second wave of the Nipah outbreak. "It cannot be said that the threat of Nipah is completely over," the Chief Minister told a press conference here. Vijayan said the state health system could effectively prevent the spread of the deadly virus. "The health system is working cautiously. Early detection of the virus averted a dangerous situation," he said. Narrating the steps taken by the government to check the prevention of the disease, Vijayan said currently 994 people are under surveillance. Samples of 304 people were collected, and of this, the test results of 267 people have been received, he added. He said six people tested positive and nine people are under observation at Kozhikode Medical College. The Chief Minister said e

Nipah situation is totally under control in Kerala: Minister Veena George

The situation regarding the latest Nipah outbreak in Kerala is completely under control, and more than 200 samples from the high-risk contacts were tested negative, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said here on Monday. In an interview with PTI, the minister said so far 1,233 contacts have been traced and categorised into high-risk and low-risk contacts. "A very positive thing is that all four patients under treatment are now stable, and the condition of the nine-year-old boy, who was on ventilator support, is improving clinically. He is now out of ventilator support and is being given minimal oxygen support," George said. A round-the-clock control room and 19 teams on the field have helped in the strict implementation of the protocol, bringing things under control, she said. "So far, we have six positive cases, and all the samples tested for the last three days were negative," the minister said. The Central teams who have been working with the Kerala health department have ...

Nipah virus update: No positive cases since Sept 16, says Kerala govt

The total number of Nipah infections confirmed in the state is six, of which two persons have died, and four persons are being treated

Centre, ICMR in talks with Serum Institute of India over Nipah antibody

Kerala has so far confirmed a total of six cases of Nipah infection since the latest outbreak in the Kozhikode district

19 teams working in field to trace contacts of Nipah virus patients

Minister Veena George began by highlighting the extensive efforts made to trace and identify individuals who may have come in contact with the infected individuals

No new positive cases of Nipah, results of 51 samples awaited: Kerala govt

In a relief for the Kerala government, no fresh positive cases of Nipah virus were reported on Saturday in the state even as five more persons, who came into contact with those infected, showing some symptoms of the disease were admitted in isolation at the medical hospital here. Kerala Health Minister Veena George, at a press briefing in the evening, said that in a relief for the state, no fresh positive cases were reported during the day. However, results of 51 samples sent for testing were awaited, she said. The minister also said five more persons, who had come into contact with the infected persons, were admitted in the hospital, after showing symptoms of Nipah infection. "Their samples have also been sent for testing," she said. At present, six cases of Nipah infection have been confirmed in the state. Of the six, two persons have died bringing the number of active cases to 4. The minister said the number of people who were suspected of coming into contact with those infec

Kerala govt working to identify area, patient zero of Nipah virus outbreak

After identifying the man who was the patient zero or index case of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, the state government on Saturday began looking for the source and place from where he got infected by seeking details of his mobile tower locations. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said while the state government was trying to determine where and how the man got infected, the central team was collecting bat samples to ascertain the viral load. She also claimed that the state's efforts to combat the virus outbreak were appreciated by the central team. The government was also focusing on completing contact tracing in respect of the sixth person who was confirmed, on Friday, to have been infected by the virus, the minister told reporters here. She also said that there were no new positive cases and in a relief for the state, 94 samples -- of persons from the high-risk contact list -- have come back negative for the virus. Meanwhile, 21 people at the Kozhikode medical college an