Preliminary discussions have begun to set up a Nipah research centre in Kozhikode under the One Health programme, which will be implemented in the district soon.
Official sources told The Hindu on Tuesday that the centre would conduct studies on issues such as the source of the infection and the spillover mechanism of the virus from fruit-eating bats, considered to be its natural reservoirs. This is against the backdrop of the recurring episodes of the Nipah infection reported in Kozhikode, in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
The conclusion that fruit-eating bats are the source of the infection here was based on similar episodes from other countries and States and detection of the virus in bat samples collected from the affected areas. It is, however, yet to be proved how the first patient got infected. Experts presumed that the infection must have happened after the patient consumed fruits contaminated by bat saliva or through contact with its excreta. The exact point of transmission of the virus from bats to humans, which is called the spillover mechanism, is yet to be conclusively proved.
“A concept note has been presented to the government. Since many agencies are involved in the implementation of the project, it may take some time before it is actually launched,” an official said.
The World Health Organisation conceived the One Health project as a multidisciplinary approach to prevent, predict, detect, and respond to health threats while balancing and optimising the health of people, animals, and the environment. Departments such as Health, Local Self-Government, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Wildlife and Forests, and Food Safety are involved in its execution.
The sources said that a plan of action would be prepared considering the features unique to Kozhikode. A district-level committee chaired by the District Collector would be set up soon. The District Medical Officer, Deputy Director (Panchayats), District Agriculture Officer, District Animal Husbandry Officer, District Fisheries Officer, District Forest Officer, District Food Safety Officer, and the District Surveillance Officer will be its members, along with a civil society representative. Thereafter, another committee will be formed at the panchayat or local body level, with its president or chairperson or Mayor as the chairperson. The local body secretary, medical officer at the respective government health centre, health standing committee chairperson of the local body and representatives of other departments will be its members.
Right now, Pamba river basin districts such as Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Idukki are being covered under One Health on a pilot basis funded by the World Bank as part of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative and Nava Keralam Karma Padhathi-2. The Centre for One Health Kerala is responsible for managing it. State Health Systems Resource Centre-Kerala is the nodal agency. The funding proposals for Kozhikode are yet to be finalised.
