Kerala Health Minister Veena George provided an update to the assembly on Wednesday, stating, “The medicine for treating Nipah patients will arrive in Kozhikode by evening.” She also mentioned their coordination with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for this delivery, emphasizing the urgency due to Nipah infections confirmed in Kozhikode.
The Nipah outbreak prompted swift action, with the Minister revealing that the disease had spread from the first victim and announcing plans to release a route map of the patient. Additionally, a team from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune was set to establish a mobile laboratory at Kozhikode Medical College to conduct Nipah testing and bat surveys. The Minister stressed the importance of NIV’s official confirmation despite local testing capabilities.
Regarding the Nipah virus strain in Kerala, George mentioned it was the Bangladesh variant, which spreads from human to human with a high mortality rate but lower infectivity. Epidemiologists from Chennai were dispatched to conduct surveys alongside the NIV team.
Furthermore, the ICMR agreed to supply the necessary monoclonal antibodies for Nipah patient treatment. The Minister highlighted various measures taken by the Health department to control the virus, including surveillance, contact tracing, isolation facilities, and procuring medicines.
In response to the Nipah outbreak, several village panchayats in Kozhikode, including Atanchery, Maruthonkara, Tiruvallur, Kuttiyadi, Kayakkodi, Villyapalli, and Kavilumpara, were declared containment zones.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the public not to panic but to take precautions, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. The Kerala government has intensified efforts to prevent further Nipah spread, given that the virus had already claimed two lives and infected two others in the region.
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