Nipah fear receding: Health minister K K Shylaja

KOZHIKODE: Giving a breather from the Nipah scare, all 21 samples of suspected cases sent for detailed examination to the National Virology Institute at Pune, proved negative, reducing the confirmed patients who are still alive to just three, health minister K.K. Shylaja said. Among the 15 persons confirmed with Nipah, two died.    Briefing the all party meeting about the latest updates on the disease here on Friday, Ms Shylaja said that the signs are good and the disease is not at all spreading.  All the 21 suspected samples sent for detailed examination on Thursday and Friday have proved negative, she said. With this the total number of Nipah confirmed cases left in the state are only three,” she added.

“Even the WHO has congratulated the state for identifying the disease at the second death itself which is very rare. The state would start research on developing indigenous medicine for Nipah with the help of Keralite scientists abroad”, she said.    On the treatment front Ms Shylaja said the department has ensured the best available safety systems globally for the doctors and nurses. “Fifty doses of human monoclonal antibodies, a medicine from Australia will arrive soon which will help in the treatment of Nipah confirmed persons,” she said.

On a doubt raised at the all party meeting over the reports in social media that Muhammed Sabith, the first victim of Nipah virus, had returned to the state from Malaysia one month back with some illness, Ms Shylaja said that the government will inquire into the travel history of Sabith and also whether he was contracted with any illness and sought treatment earlier. 

Sabith, a native of Perambra was working abroad for quite long time and returned home with the illness, according to the social media report.  He was suspected of having gastro intestine problems. His health worsened only after cleaning the well at home which had a bat population, leading to death. Meanwhile the health of the nursing student of Kozhikode infected with Nipah continues to be critical, according to health officials. Director of Health Services Dr R.L. Saritha told reporters that proper training has been given to all the health care staff.  “We have told them that we are fighting the disease like soldiers guarding the border of our country. The fight is still on,” she added.