Kozhikode (Kerala): In a big relief to the state, samples of 20 more people who were in close contact with the 12-year-old boy who died of Nipah virus recently, have been tested negative. Of the 20 samples, 15 were tested at the Pune Research Centre and the other five in Kozhikode. With this, a total of 30 contacts tested so far have all turned negative.
Presently, 68 people are in an isolation unit set up at the Kozhikode Medical College where they will be monitored for 42 days. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the symptomatic contacts are in good health and have no underlying conditions. She said the health department will coordinate with the expert team in sample collection from animals in the region.
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"The Department of Animal Husbandry has inspected the area and collected samples in order to trace the source the very next day. A team from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) from Bhopal will visit Kerala and will collect samples from bats and other animals," she said.
A 12-year-old boy had died due to Nipah in the early hours of Sunday. Soon after reports confirmed that he died of Nipah virus, local authorities geared up to check any further spread of the deadly virus in Kozhikode and surrounding areas. They declared a health alert in the district and cordoned off about three kilometres around the house of the deceased boy. Pazhoor (Ward-9) of Chathamangalam panchayat was fully closed and nearby wards of Nayarkuzhy, Koolimad, Puthiyadam wards were partially closed. A team from the National Centre for Disease Control had visited the boy's house.
