Kerala has so far recorded six confirmed cases of the Nipah virus, marking the fourth such epidemic since 2018. To prevent the sickness from spreading further, the government has ordered the closure of all educational facilities, and quarantine zones like to those found in Covid have been established.Up until Wednesday, the Kozhikode district’s 11 wards had been designated as containment zones.
The virus is carried by fruit bats, thus consumers are wary of purchasing locally produced produce like guava, dragon fruit, and rambutan. On the other side, local fruit breeders and sellers have also experienced a significant setback. During the first Nipah epidemic in Kerala in 2018, a similar trend in the selling of locally produced fruits and vegetables was also seen.
In the meanwhile, the ICMR has provided the state with the antibodies it needed to fight the dangerous virus. Additionally, a mobile lab was sent to Ground Zero so that the state could evaluate samples.
The latest information on the Nipah virus in Kerala is provided below in ten points:
From September 18 until further orders, all educational institutions in the Kozhikode area, including all schools, colleges, and tuition centers, have been shuttered and have moved to an online learning environment.
Tuesday, two fatalities in Kerala’s Kozhikode district were attributed to the Nipah virus, according to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
A 24-year-old healthcare worker was the fifth confirmed Nipah patient in Kerala for the most recent epidemic on Wednesday. One of the three affected individuals, a nine-year-old kid, is still in serious condition.
On Saturday, Kerala had no new positive cases of the Nipah virus reported. However, a Kozhikode hospital has isolated 5 more people who had touch with the afflicted.
Due to the area’s location inside a defined containment zone, Beypore Harbour has been told to halt all of its activities until further notice.
As the sole treatment option accessible to the government to treat infections, the ICMR has provided the antibody sought by the state to fight the deadly Nipah virus; nevertheless, the effectiveness of this antiviral has not been clinically shown.
To assess the situation and support the state government in managing the Nipah infection, a five-person central team made up of specialists from the National Center for Disease Control, RML Hospital, and NIMHANS has been stationed in Kerala.
To improve viral testing and identification, the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) sent a fully-stocked mobile virology testing laboratory to the district of northern Kerala.
The Kerala High Court ordered the state government to inform Sabarimala tourists about the Nipah virus as the temple is about to open for its monthly ritual.
Ma Subramanian, the health minister for Tamil Nadu, said on Saturday that the state has not seen any instances of the Nipah virus.