‘Nipah cases under control but threat…’: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan broaches possibility of second wave
Kerala remains on alert as Nipah cases continue to be monitored, with no new infections reported so far.
PremiumKerala remained braced for a fresh outbreak of Nipah cases with nearly a thousand people currently under surveillance. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the situation was under control but the ‘threat is not over yet’. Meanwhile the Kozhikode administration relaxed restrictions on Tuesday as no new cases of Nipah virus infection were reported in the state.
“Even ICMR could not provide a clear answer as to why Nipah cases are being reported from Kozhikode district…It is under control but threat is not over yet. Health experts are of the opinion that the possibility of a second wave is very remote but cannot be completely ruled out," said Vijayan.
State officials held a Nipah review meeting at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday afternoon and decided to conduct a zero surveillance study.
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Vijayan said that 994 people are currently under surveillance and samples of 304 have been collected. Of these, the test results of 267 people have been received. Six people tested positive and nine people are under observation at Kozhikode Medical College. The Health Department also formed a psycho-social support team as part of the Nipah prevention activities.
Schools and offices were shut in some parts of Kerala earlier this month after the deadly virus killed two people -- the fourth such outbreak since 2018. There are currently no vaccines to prevent or cure it, and the infection has a mortality rate of between about 70%.
Intial symptoms include fever, respiratory distress, headaches, and vomiting. Severe cases can also include encephalitis and seizures leading to coma. Parts of Kerala are among those most at risk globally for outbreaks of bat viruses according to a Reuters investigation.
The southern state has seen outbreaks in 2018 (which claimed 21 lives) as well as 2019 and 2021.
(With inputs from agencies)
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