Tighter controls put in place in Kozhikode, Kerala to contain Nipah virus infections; Adjoining states also on alert

New Delhi, Sep 15:-- In Kerala, samples of 15 persons belonging to the high risk category included in the Nipah contact list in Kozhikode were sent for testing yesterday, while 11 samples collected earlier tested negative for Nipah virus.

The Kozhikode district administration has declared a holiday for all educational institutions till tomorrow. The Administrator of Mahe, an enclave near Kozhikode under the Union Territory of Puducherry, has also declared a holiday for all educational institutions today and tomorrow.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said, isolation wards have been arranged in private hospitals in case the need arise. 234 people were traced yesterday as part of the Nipah surveillance. 950 persons are on the contract list, of which 213 are in the high risk category.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar also reviewed the steps taken on containment of Nipah Virus Outbreak in Kozhikode. She visted the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Virology in Pune and took stock of preparations in this regard.

Meanwhile Karnataka state Health Department has issued an advisory to enhance surveillance in Kodagu, Dakshin Kannada, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru bordering Kerala to prevent any potential entry of Nipah cases reported in Kozhikode region. The roads connecting the two states have been monitored closely. The District Rapid Response Teams are formed in these vulnerable districts in Karnataka and the district hospitals have reserved beds for quarantining the suspected cases of Nipah. The advisory has suggested that the hospitals stock up for essential drugs and oxygen. Any information on persons with Nipah virus symptoms in private hospitals, clinics have to be reported to the district health officer.

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