MALAPPURAM: The health authorities on Tuesday intensified efforts to find the source of Nipah virus that infected the 14-year-old boy from Pandikkad. Health Minister Veena George said an expert team led by R Balasubramanian from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) started working in the Pandikkad area to collect samples from bats on the day. Earlier, the health department identified the presence of bats in an area a few kilometres away from the house of the Nipah victim.
The boy had consumed an infected wild hog plum from the area. “If the presence of the virus is detected in bat samples, genetic testing will be conducted. CCTV cameras have also been installed in the area in Pandikkad, where the boy is suspected to have contracted the virus, to detect the presence of bats,” the minister said. The efforts of NIV experts will help identify the specific strain of the virus present in the bats, she said.
To determine whether animals were infected with the virus, the district veterinary centre has collected samples from cattle and other domestic animals in Pandikkad.
“The samples were sent to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal to identify the presence of the virus in animals,” said the office of the chief veterinary officer of the district veterinary centre.
As many as 17 samples from individuals in the contact list of the Nipah victim tested negative for the virus on Tuesday. However, the health department asked those in isolation to continue their 21-day quarantine and warned of legal action under the Public Health Act against those who violate the protocol.
Currently, there are 460 people in the contact list of the Nipah victim, of whom 220 are in the high-risk category. Among those in the high-risk category, 142 are health workers. As many as 19 people in the contact list are being treated in various hospitals. Among them, 17 are at Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital and two in Thiruvananthapuram.
As part of the disease prevention activities, strong preventive measures are being carried out at the field level. “The health department officials have visited 18,055 houses in Pandikkad and Anakkayam grama panchayats so far. A total of 728 fever cases have been reported in Pandikkad, and 286 in Anakkayam. The contact tracing is being conducted flawlessly, ensuring that no infected person is left out,” the minister said.
Mental support is being provided to those in the contact list. The call centre has assisted 329 people with concerns related to Nipah. Online classes are being conducted for the students in the schools in Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats where Nipah restrictions are imposed. The education department said facilities will be arranged for students from schools outside these two panchayats and in the contact list to study online.
Under control
Currently, there are 460 people in the contact list of the Nipah victim, of whom 220 are in the high-risk category
Among those in the high-risk category, 142 are health workers
19 people in the contact list are being treated in various hospitals