The zoonotic Nipah virus has found its way back to Kerala. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed yesterday that it had claimed two lives in Kozhikode. Two more cases of the virus, which is transmitted from animals like bats or pigs to humans, and then also from human to human, have further been confirmed.
The two patients, aged 44 and 40, reportedly passed away on August 30 and September 11. The second patient’s nine-year-old child and a 24-year-old relative are also under treatment, with the child reportedly in critical condition. The virus was confirmed post sample testing done at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. A four-member team of experts has been sent from the Centre to Kerala to assist government initiatives for surveillance and reduction in response time, Dr. Mandaviya said.
The Nipah virus isn’t new; deaths due to Nipah were reported in the same district in 2018 and 2021. The zoonotic virus belongs to a genus termed Henipavirus (subfamily Paramyxovirinae), and was first identified in a large outbreak in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998- 1999. Symptoms of infection by the Nipah virus include fever, muscle pain, and respiratory problems. A patient can be asymptomatic and still be a carrier for the deadly virus, which has been noted to have a relatively high case fatality ratio by the World Health Organisation.
In India, Nipah first surfaced in Kerala in 2018. Back then, it was viewed as a test for India’s ability to handle a public health crisis. When it resurfaced in 2021, India, still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, at least had protocols in place to tackle it. “We have some experience with this,” Dr. Mandaviya said.
The Minister clarified that India was not looking to import drugs to treat patients and that they were being managed well. Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vjayan reassured people via a social media post, saying there was no need to worry as most of those who were in close contact with the deceased were under treatment.
The Health Department has sounded an alarm in the district, ,setting up a control room, and advising the public to wear marks. State government medical colleges have been instructed about necessary precautions and given protective kits. Further, the Government Medical College hospital in Kozhikode has readied an isolation ward with 75 beds. State Health Minister Veena George said that hospitals and the health workers were instructed to follow infection control protocol, and advised people to avoid unnecessary visits to the hospital.
Ms. George also held a high-level meeting yesterday to evaluate the situation and ensure precautionary measures were in place. Committees have been created by the State Health Department to tackle surveillance, sample testing, research, contact tracing, and patient transportation. A contact list of 168 people has been drawn up, with 158 linked to the first patient and 10 to the second. A fever survey of Maruthonkara and Ayancheri gram panchayats, where the two deceased hail from, is now reportedly underway. A bat habitat survey is also being planned, in coordination with the departments of Forests and Wild Life and Animal Husbandry.
An expert team from NIV Pune and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) are expected to reach Kozhikode today. The NIV team will set up a bio-safety level-3 mobile lab for sample testing, while the ICMR team is expected to conduct an epidemiological investigation into origin of the infection.
The Hindu’s Editorials
Text & Context
The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz
During the G-20 meetings, visitors from how many nations arrived in India?
- 111
- 25
- 55
- 125
To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here.
Published - September 13, 2023 08:09 pm IST
