Nipah virus: One more tests positive

KOZHIKODE: The Nipah virus infection claimed one more life here on Sunday, taking the confirmed death toll due to the contagious viral disease to 13.

The deceased has been identified as Abhin, 26, hailing from Olavanna. Abhin,who had been under treatment at a private hospital for the past one week, had earlier been tested positive for the disease. Apart from the 13 confirmed Nipah deaths, Changaroth resident Mohammed Sabith the first suspected Nipah victim in the state who died on May 5 is also assumed to have died due to the disease, though it has not been clinically confirmed.
According to health officials, Abhin, who is an auto driver, is learnt to have visited his family house at Perambra.The first Nipah cases from the district were reported from Changaroth located near Peramba. Director of health services, Dr R L Saritha said district collector has initiated steps to trace the contacts of Abhin to find out from where he had contracted the infection.
Meanwhile, one more person tested positive for the disease on Sunday taking the total number of Nipah cases to 16. The Kozhikode native is currently under treatment at a private hospital. The director of health services said that the person could have come into contact with any of the Nipah-infected cases.
She said that of the 99 samples so far tested at Manipal Virus Research Centre, 16 have been positive for the disease and 83 negative. On Sunday, 12 persons who were under observation following symptoms of Nipah infection, were discharged from the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital while another six persons were admitted with suspected symptoms of the disease. The body of Abhin was cremated at Mavoor Road crematorium Sunday night as per the safety protocol formulated by the health department.
District collector U V Jose, who chaired a meeting of heads of various departments of the Kozhikode MCH on Sunday, said that it has been decided to form special squads for handling issues like disease control and a nodal officer will be in charge of each team. The teams are being formed as part crisis management measures taken for the smooth functioning of the MCH. Health minister K K Shailaja will chair a review meeting at the collectorate on Monday to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, a special team comprising animal husbandry and forest department officials is continuing its efforts to collect samples of droplets comprising faeces and urine of fruit bats from Changaroth and nearby areas after intermittent rains affected the sample collection drive.