A 39-year-old man in Kozhikode has been diagnosed with the brain-damaging Nipah virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Kerala to four, the state health department announced on Friday. With this, there have been a total of six infections with the Nipah virus in Kerala, including two fatalities. The 39-year-old patient is being watched in a hospital in Kozhikode, according to the office of the state’s health minister.
The state government has stepped up its efforts to stop the infection from spreading. On August 30 and September 11, the Nipah virus claimed the lives of two people in Kozhikode. In an effort to stop the spread of the deadly Nipah virus after two people died in the fourth outbreak since the year 2018, Kerala has closed some schools and offices this week. Gram Panchayats in the Kozhikode region that are affected have been designated as quarantine areas. On the contact list, samples of 15 people who fall into the high-risk category have been sent for testing.
The health official previously stated that there are 950 people on the contact list, 213 of whom fall under the high-risk category. The contact list also includes 287 healthcare professionals. Four high-risk patients are currently being cared for in a private hospital, and 17 others are being watched at the Kozhikode Medical College. Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, reviewed measures taken to contain the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala during a visit to the National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) in Pune on September 14.