Stringent Measures Enforced to Check Spread of Nipah in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: With four persons including two who died the other day having tested positive for Niphah virus, the Kerala health department has swung into action enforcing a series of measures to check the spread of the infection.

A team of experts from Centre team will visit the affected areas of Kozhikode district on Wednesday to review the disease control, prevention and treatment measures.  

Health officials said there are more than 200 persons on the contact list of the infected persons. While there are 158 in the contact list of the first case including 127 health workers, in the second victim's contact list there are over 100 people.

The process of identification of the people on the list is continuing.

Strict measures to contain the epidemic

As many as 44 wards spread across seven panchayats in Kozhikode district were declared as containment zones. Entry and exit to the containment zones have been completely barred. Police will be barricading all entry and exit points in these areas, shops will be allowed to function from 7 am to 5 pm, banks, schools, anganwadis and day care institutions will remain closed till further orders and transportation along public roads in the containment zones have been banned though national and state highway passing through the restricted areas will remain open. However, vehicles will not be allowed to stop in these areas.

Only medical shops, health centres, clinics and hospitals will be permitted to function without any time restrictions. The use of masks and sanitizers has been made mandatory in the affected areas and people have been asked to maintain social distance.

Dental student under observation

Meanwhile, a dental student with suspected Nipah symptoms has been put under observation at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The patient sought treatment at the medical college on Tuesday morning following a high-degree fever. He is suspected to have consumed a fruit bitten by a bat. Body fluids and samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology for detailed examination.

Medical experts say the symptoms include hihg fever, vomiting, nausea, headache, drowsiness and fainting.

Symptoms might remain for 10 to 12 days. The disease can become fatal only at a stage when encephalitis or brain fever (inflammation of the brain) occurs.

The mortality rate among infected people is as high as 74.5 per cent.

Transmission of virus

From fruit bats to animals through bites.

From animals to other animals through fluids, from bats to humans if one happens to consume fruits bitten by bats, transmitted from animals to humans through body fluids and from humans to humans through body fluids.

Preventive measures

Refrain from eating fruits bitten by birds and animals

Wash hands properly after coming into contact with infected persons

Use mask and gloves while taking care of patients avoid consuming toddy collected from areas where bats are found in large numbers.

What is the Nipah virus?

The virus was first detected in the Kampung Sungai Nipah area of Malaysia in 1998 following a brain fever epidemic. The disease spread among workers who were working in pig breeding centres.