Nipah virus case reports from Kozhikode, Kerala

In Kerala, one more Nipah virus case has been reported from Kozhikode. A 24-year-old health worker of a private hospital in Kozhikode has been infected by Nipah virus. This was confirmed by the State Health Minister Veena George in a statement issued last evening. 

With this, the total number of persons identified to have been infected by the deadly virus has risen to five. The route map of three persons who turned Nipah positive, has been published. 13 persons were today admitted in the isolation wards at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, where 75 isolation beds have been earmarked to treat Nipah patients. Three persons are kept in isolation at their residence



itself. 

The number of persons who came into contact with those infected by the virus has risen to 789, of which more than 150 were health workers.

The monoclonal antibody drugs sought by the state government from the ICMR is expected to reach early morning today. Two teams from the National Institute of Virology, Pune dispatched by the Centre is also expected today. Meanwhile, the district authorities in Kozhikode have issued directions to stop all public functions for the next ten days in the wake of Nipah infections. Directions were also given to drastically limit all religious and private functions, for which prior permission has been made mandatory.