The Kerala government has recently confirmed one case of Nipah virus in the state. A man from Kochi’s Ernakulum who is a 23 year old, has also been confirmed to be infected with the Nipah virus. Previous year, in an outbreak in the state, Nipah virus had claimed total number of 17 lives.
However, Kerala Health Minister KK Shylaja, on Tuesday, asked the people to calm down and not to panic as the government had begun with all precautionary measures and that was even before the case was confirmed.
Nipah virus case confirmed by Kerala Government, at least 86 people under observation
“The infection has been confirmed in one person who is currently undergoing treatment in Government Medical College Kalamassery. There is nothing to panic. Health department has set up treatment facilities and isolation wards at all medical colleges and district hospitals,” the health minister told to a news agency recently.
Just after receiving test results from the National Virology Institute located in Pune, the state health department confirmed the Nipah case.
The 23 year old student was immediately admitted for the detailed treatment at a private hospital in Ernakulum.
The government is also underway in order to prepare a list of people who were in contact with the infected youth. So far, the government has listed out at least total of 86 people who he came in contact with in recent time.
All those total number of 86 people have been kept under observation as well as are asked to report to the nearby medical facility if they feels like developing symptoms such as fever, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat. The health department is on fall-back in order to handle any adverse state of condition. Four people, which comprises of two nurses, have been kept under observation after they showed any of the symptoms of mild fever and throat pain. One of them has also been shifted to the isolation ward.
The government also has guaranteed Keralites that there is not a such thing to panic and every situation is being monitored. The Kerala government has also stocked up essential medicines while on the other hand an isolation ward has been arranged at the Ernakulum Medical College.
Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has also taken stock of the condition in Kerala and in regard of this also said that a team of experts has already reached Kochi.
He said, “Today morning I have called a meeting at my residence with all the officers including health secretary. Yesterday itself we had dispatched a team of six officers to Kerala.”
A control room has also been opened up in the health ministry in order to monitor the situation.
The latest case brings back the memories of the year 2018 when the virus caused enormous panic in Kerala as 17 of the 18 infected patients died in rapid succession.
This is a kind of virus that spreads from animals to humans and then to other humans.
Previous year after much investigation, fruit-eating bats were recognized as the major source of the infection and at that time people were advised not to consume fruits that are partly eaten by bats.
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