The Nipah scare is far from being over even though swift identification of the outbreak and efficient containment measures by the Health department in Kozhikode have been successful in preventing further spread of the disease, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Vijayan said the Health department continued to maintain a state of high vigil and was going ahead with efficient measures for disease containment and to ensure that the best of medical care was provided to the affected.
All nearby districts of Kannur, Wayanad and Malappuram have also been put on the alert and the district administrations have taken necessary measures to be on the vigil and to launch preventive action.
In this outbreak, 1,286 persons had been identified as contacts, of whom 276 were categorised as high-risk contacts, of whom 122 are patients’ friends and relatives. There are 118 health-care workers on the contact list. At present, 994 persons are under observation.
So far, the samples of 304 persons who showed symptoms of fever/respiratory illness were collected for analysis and 267 results declared so far. Six persons have tested positive for Nipah so far. Nine persons continue to be in isolation at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital.
The Health department has made all arrangements for disease management and control, ambulance services as well as drugs and personal protection equipment
Mr. Vijayan said that the contact list is likely to go up again and hence the Institute of Advanced Virology at Thonnakkal and the special lab at the Kozhikode MCH will continue to provide Nipah diagnostic services
A review meeting held today to discuss the Nipah situation concluded that while the chances of a second wave of infection in the current outbreak is remote, health officials are leaving nothing to chance
Mr. Vijayan said that the NiV strain responsible for the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode in 2018 and the outbreak at Ernakulam in 2019 have been implicated in the current outbreak also, according to the virus genomic sequencing done by the ICMR. However, the presence of the virus has not been detected in any of the 36 bat samples analysed so far. More bat samples are being collected for analysis.
ICMR’s studies have not given any clear answers as to why Nipah outbreaks are recurring at Kozhikode. The State has however, decided to conduct a detailed sero surveillance study, for which a detailed proposal has been sought from the Health department, Mr. Vijayan said.
The ICMR is conducting bat surveillance studies. IAV will also pursue research studies through sample studies
The Health department has also formed a psycho-social support team to provide counselling and support services to those on the contact list and to allay the fear, anxiety and insomnia that many, identified as contacts of positive cases, are going through. Over 1,193 telephone calls were handled and about 1,099 persons have been provided psychological support.
