Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], June 17 (ANI): One more person under observation at Kozhikode Medical College after being included in the Nipah contact list was discharged on Wednesday after symptoms subsided. With this, five of the nine people admitted for observation have been discharged, while four remain under monitoring.
The Nipah patient continues to be treated on ventilator support at Kozhikode Medical College. Test results of a healthcare worker who was on the patient’s contact list and a relative of the patient admitted for observation at the Medical College have returned negative, an official statement issued by state’s health minister office read.
No new persons were added to the contact list on Saturday. A total of 104 people are currently under surveillance, including four in the very high-risk category, 14 in the high-risk category and 86 in the low-risk category. All contacts are presently under quarantine, it added.
As part of surveillance measures, the Animal Husbandry Department collected blood samples and nasal swabs from pet dogs and cats near the outbreak area. Samples of bat droppings collected from nearby roosting sites have also been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) laboratory in Bhopal for testing.
The central team assisting with containment efforts held discussions with doctors treating the patient at the Medical College. Health workers visited 75 additional houses in Division 5 of Ramanattukara Municipality, where the infection was reported, the statement mentioned.
Control room staff contacted 95 people on the contact list to check for symptoms. One call seeking clarification was received from the public, taking the total number of such calls to 87. Under the district mental health programme, five people under surveillance were contacted and provided psychological support. A total of 108 such calls have been made so far.
Keralam Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Tuesday said that the government will succeed in preventing the spread of the Nipah virus in 2026, adding that a high-power committee has been formed to prevent viral and amoebic diseases. (ANI)