Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, five dead, nine critical

Kerala : The sudden outbreak of a rare virus is affecting many people in Kozhikode, Kerala. The Health Department of state has confirmed that Nipah Virus has killed three people in the district and infecting many locals all around. 

On Sunday evening Kerala Health Services Director Dr R L Saritha said, “Today, we got the confirmation report from National Institute of Virology, Pune. We had sent four samples to the institute and three of them tested positive for Nipah virus.”

Sources confirmed that in the last two weeks, there were three deaths in one family at Changaroth panchayat in Kozhikode district in Kerala. Mohammed Sadik (26) and Mohammed Salih (28), sons of Valachuketti Moosa, died on May 5 and May 18 respectively. Moosa’s brother Moideen’s wife Mariam (50) passed away on May 19. Moosa (62) is now in a critical condition while Atifa (19), Salih’s fiancée, is under observation at a private hospital.

Samples from the death were collected for detailed examination in the virology lab at the Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and National Virology Institute in Pune. The results have now confirmed the presence of Nipah virus in the samples.

On Sunday, two more deaths have been reported in Kozhikode due to viral infection. According to reports, District Medical Officer V Jayasree mentioned the names of those who died on Sunday as Ismail of Koottalida and Velayudhan of Kolathur. However, it was yet to be confirmed that they were inflicted with the virus, she said.

Rajeev Sadanandan IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, told TNM, "Currently we are looking at possible sources of infection, which is the primary host which is the fruit bat and the secondary host which is domestic animals. For human to human transmission, we are looking at contacts of the people who have been infected and trying to screen all of them and put them under observation. Possibility of person to person transmission is very high. We have also created isolation wards." 

Sources reported that 25 people are being kept under observation and nine persons are undergoing treatment and are in critical condition. Six persons are being treated at the Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, one at a private hospital in Kozhikode and one at Kochi.

Reports say Union Minister J P Nadda directed the Director of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to visit Kozhikode district to help the state government. 

"Reviewed the situation of deaths related to Nipah virus in Kerala with Secretary Health. I have directed Director NCDC to visit the district and initiate required steps as warranted by the protocol for the disease in consultation with state government," J P Nadda said in a tweet.

Health experts say that bats of the Pteropodidae family are the main house of the virus. The virus transmits from animals to humans very easily.