Nipah yet to be confirmed, 86 under observation: Kerala health minister

Exactly a year after the outbreak of the dreaded Nipah fever, the health authorities in Kerala are on guard against its likely recurrence.

Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja on Monday said they are yet to receive a confirmation on whether the 23- year-old college student, who has been admitted to a private hospital in Kochi with fever, is infected with the Nipah virus. The confirmatory report is awaited from the National Institute of Virology, Pune.

While some of the symptoms have been confirmed, more results from tests of his samples on Monday night will give a clear picture.

The minister urged everyone who has symptoms to seek treatment immediately.

Eighty-six people, who have come in contact with the youth after he contracted the virus, has been placed under observation.

The minister also cautioned the media to not publish stories that would incite panic among the public.

A control room has been set up where assistance can be sought by calling the numbers 1077 and 1056.

The minister sought to allay fears of the people saying they are unwarranted. "Doctors from Kozhikode Medical College who are experienced in treating patients affected with Nipah virus will reach Kochi. We will also seek the advice of former health secretary Rajeev Sadanandan," she said.

READ MORE: Nipah: Prevention, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

The minister said medicines brought from Australia are available in the National Virology Institute. The state can avail them if infection is confirmed, she added.

Isolation wards have been opened in Kochi, Kalamassery, Kozhikode and Thrissur medical colleges.

Govt closely monitoring Nipah virus situation: CM

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government was taking precautionary actions and closely monitoring the situation. "The government is closely monitoring the current situation," Vijayan said in a Facebook post and urged everyone to follow the instructions of the health department. "No one needs to be afraid. Be alert. The health department is all set to face any situation," he said.

The chief minister also asked people not to indulge in fake campaigns about the Nipah virus on social media.

Meanwhile, the health department convened an emergency meeting in Thrissur following reports that the patient had stayed there. Thrissur District Medical Ofcer, Dr Reena, confirmed that the youth did not contract the disease from the district. She told media that the youth had stayed in Thrissur for four days along with 22 people. The health department examined the details of all of them and none of them had any symptoms, the DMO said.

Officials said the family and neighbours of the man, who hails from Ernakulam district, were also under observation as was a private college in Thodupuzha in Idukki district, where the student is studying. He was staying in a rented house at Thodupuzha along with four others. He had sought treatment from a local hospital after he caught fever. The hospital referred him to an advanced hospital in Thrissur.

Rejecting as 'baseless' social media reports about confirmation of a Nipah virus case in Ernakulam district, officials had, on Sunday, asked people to stop spreading panic. In a statement, Ernakulam District Collector K. Mohammed Y Safirulla said usual medical examinations were carried out on patients coming with the symptoms of Nipah virus.

Some social media reports, which had said that Nipah virus had been confirmed on a patient admitted to a hospital in Ernakulam district, was baseless, he said. There was no need for any concern, he added.

If the disease is confirmed, that will be officially informed to the public and necessary precautions will be taken to control its spread, the collector said.

(This story originally appeared in Onmanorama)