Thiruvananthapuram, July 6 (UNI) In view of the Nipah outbreak, fever surveillance will be conducted in the affected areas of three districts in Kerala.
“There are a total of 425 individuals on the Nipah virus contact list. Among them, 228 are from Malappuram, 110 from Palakkad, and 87 from Kozhikode. In Malappuram, 12 people are currently under treatment, with five in the ICU,” said Health Minister Veena George yesterday.
“One person on the contact list has tested negative. In Palakkad, one individual is in isolation. Among those on the contact list in Palakkad, 61 are health workers. All 87 individuals on the contact list in Kozhikode are also health workers,” she added.
“Instructions have been issued to conduct fever surveillance in the affected areas. Mental health support must be ensured. Individuals on the contact list in Palakkad should be isolated within the district,” she said.
“Only samples need to be sent for testing. Route maps of the confirmed Nipah cases from Palakkad and Malappuram have been published” she informed.
“Ambulances, including those under the Kanivu 108 service, are on standby. Efforts to trace the source of the infection have been intensified.”
“Following the outbreak, one Nipah patient died, and another person has tested positive for the virus. Alert advisories have been issued in Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad districts in connection with the two confirmed Nipah cases. Experts have advised against using firecrackers or other methods to scare away bats” she said.
Kerala has experienced multiple Nipah outbreaks in the past- in 2018, 2021, 2023, and 2024 – all marked by high fatality rates.
Hospitals and healthcare institutions have been directed to strengthen contact tracing and ensure that no one on the contact list is left unidentified.
