Nipah case in Kerala: Patient on ventilator, 77 contacts under watch
A 43-year-old man from Ramanattukara, whose Nipah infection has been confirmed by the Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, remains in critical condition at the Government
A 43-year-old man from Ramanattukara, whose Nipah infection has been confirmed by the Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, remains in critical condition at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, in Kerala where he is now undergoing treatment on ventilator support. Health department authorities have identified and traced 77 persons who came into contact with the patient, including family members, healthcare workers, friends and colleagues. Of them, 58 are healthcare workers, 14 are family members and five are his friends and colleagues. Persons categorised as high-risk contacts have been placed under quarantine and are being monitored for symptoms.
According to Health department sources, none of the contacts have reported symptoms till date. Contact tracing and field surveillance activities have been stepped up, while infection-control protocols have been strengthened at various healthcare facilities in the district, they said. Health department officials said the public need not panic but should remain vigilant and cooperate with newly introduced surveillance measures being undertaken by the department and the district administration. They also said the condition of all identified contacts was being monitored closely for prompt follow up actions.
On Thursday, there were special instructions from District Collector M.S. Madhavikutty to the Health department squads and local administrators to ensure a flawless surveillance plan based on the newly released route map of the admitted patient. Field-level containment measures were also launched with the support of the rapid response teams in Ramanattukara municipality following the Collector’s intervention. Madhavikkutty also issued instructions to the Health department authorities to ensure adequate stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE), including protective kits, gloves and masks. Steps were also taken to ensure the availability of medicines to support the treatment efforts.
Control room opened A control room, opened following the Collector’s request, would be available 24x7 at the District medical office to address public concerns and various queries related to the viral infection. Officials said the control room with the phone numbers 0495-2373901 and 907207767 would be attended by a trained team of health workers under the direct supervision of the District Medical Officer.
The BriefWire