KOCHI: The Nipah scare is here again. A new suspected case has been identified in Ernakulam district. A youth from Vadakkekara grama panchayat in the district has been admitted to the isolation ward of a private hospital after he showed symptoms of Nipah.
However, district medical officer Dr M K Kuttappan said, "The private hospital has sent the blood samples to a private laboratory in Bengaluru. The case can be confirmed only after the samples are tested in a government laboratory." According to him, samples have been sent to Manipal Institute of Virology and Kerala State Institute of Virology and Infectious Diseases (KSIVID) in Alappuzha. "The results are awaited," he added.
Dr Kuttappan said, "The youth had gone for internship at Keltron in Thrissur and returned home after he fell sick. The fever persisted for more than 10 days and some of the symptoms were of Nipah. He is being taken care of in an isolated ward of the hospital."
He said the hospital authorities notified the district authorities on Saturday night. According to him, it might be also a case of viral or bacterial encephalitis. The test results are expected by evening. According to the DMO, the district medical authorities will issue a statement soon.