MALAPPURAM: Nipah has struck Malappuram yet again. With the virus infection confirmed in the 24-year-old man who died at a hospital last week, the health department has placed the district on high alert, initiating contact tracing and testing of individuals in the contact list.
Health Minister Veena George on Monday said, 175 people have been included in the contact list of the Nipah victim. Of them, 10 are under treatment at the Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital with suspected Nipah symptoms. As many as 126 individuals are in the primary contact list and 49 on the secondary contact list. Among them, 74 are healthcare workers. A total of 104 people in the primary contact list are in the high-risk category. The minister said that samples of 13 people have been sent for testing, with results pending.
The youth, a resident of Naduvath in Thiruvali panchayat, had been undergoing treatment for fever at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna, where he died on September 9. He was pursuing post-graduation in Bengaluru and had come home on August 23. While the health department has not officially announced that any of the victim’s friends in Bengaluru are under observation, a source confirmed that at least six of his friends have been advised to remain vigilant.
The health department on Monday published the travel details, including a route map, of the youth. He developed a fever on September 5 and sought treatment at four different hospitals in the district. Additionally, he had travelled to various places with his friends.
Malappuram District Medical Officer R Renuka said 13 people in the contact list are under observation in the district. “Of them, 10 are at the Manjeri Government MCH, and three are in home isolation. Samples from all individuals in the contact list will be tested following Nipah protocol,” the DMO said.
Meanwhile, the district administration, based on instructions from the health department, has imposed strict restrictions across the district to prevent the spread of the virus infection.
As part of these measures, Wards 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Thiruvali panchayat and Ward 7 of Mampad panchayat, have been declared as containment zones.
While urging the public to remain vigilant, District Collector V R Vinod said there was no need for panic. He advised everyone to wear masks as a precautionary measure.
Strict curbs in place in Malappuram
Public gatherings are prohibited in the affected wards of Thiruvali and Mampad panchayats.
In these areas, business establishments are allowed to operate only between 10 am and 7 pm, with medical stores exempt from these restrictions.
Cinemas, schools, colleges, madrasas, anganwadis, and tuition centres are not permitted to function in the containment zones.
In accordance with the Nipah protocol, 16 committees were formed under the district administration on Sunday to manage the situation in Malappuram.
Field surveys have been initiated within a 3-km radius of the deceased’s home, involving 66 teams. On Monday, surveys were conducted in 590 houses in Mampad, 447 houses in Wandoor, and 891 houses in Thiruvali, covering 1,928 houses. During the survey, 49 fever cases were reported: 10 in Mampad, 10 in Wandoor, and 29 in Thiruvali. Only one fever case from Mampad has been included in the contact list.
In July, a 14-year-old boy died of Nipah at Chembrasseri, which is 10km away from Naduvath. The source of the infection couldn’t be traced in that case.
