Kerala, which is already suffering from the infections of the Covid-19 pandemic, has reported a death due to another deadly virus, ‘Nipah’.
A 12-year-old boy died due to Nipah virus infection at a hospital in Kerala on Sunday. The samples of the boy, which were sent to the Pune National Institute of Virology, confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus.
A few days ago, a boy from Maori was admitted to a hospital in Kozhikode with a high fever. His condition worsened on Saturday night. He was pronounced dead at around 5 am on Sunday, state Health Minister Veena George said on Sunday. With this, the central and state governments were alerted at once. The central government has sent a special team from the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to assist the state.
The Kerala government has taken immediate steps to prevent the spread of the Nipah virus. Minister Veena George immediately conducted a high-level review and directed the authorities to take necessary action. A total of 16 special teams were formed. Steps have been taken to identify and isolate all those who have been in close contact with the boy for the past 2 weeks. A ward in a medical college hospital has been specially converted into a Nipah chart and helpline numbers have been set up.
Authorities have so far identified 188 people who were in close contact with the deceased boy. Nearly 20 people were confirmed to be at the highest threat. The minister said two of the health workers had recently developed symptoms of the Nipah virus. The 20 were rushed to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on Sunday evening.
A Nipah virus outbreak was reported in the Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala in 2018. Nipah virus disease is caused by fruit bats and is potentially fatal to humans as well as animals, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It can take up to 5-14 days for symptoms to develop, which can be fatal in humans.