Kozhikode: The death of a 12-year-old boy due to Nipah virus infection in Kerala's Kozhikode district has prompted the state to further heighten the alertness of its health machinery to prevent an outbreak. The local authorities have intensified efforts to trace the origin of the virus which is important to control the further spread of the deadly virus and gauge its threat.
Heath Minister Veena George, while speaking to reporters on Monday, said the priority is to strengthen contact tracing and determine the source of infection. "There are chances that the boy who succumbed to the virus may have come in contact with more people. The samples of seven people among the 20 high-risk contacts of the child have been sent to the Pune NIV for testing," the minister said.
Read: Central team visits Nipah victim's house and surroundings in Kerala
"We are giving special training to our field workers. It is important to strengthen contact tracing and find the source of infection. Whether this child is the first to get infected or from where this child was infected. We traced 188 contacts on Sunday. There can be more contacts. We are trying to locate everyone," she said.
According to sources, the Animal Husbandry Department officials will visit various locations in Chathamangalam panchayat, where the boy died after getting infected with Nipah. The officials will also visit the house of the victim and collect samples of domesticated animals. The officials will also decide whether the droppings, urine and secretions of the bats in the area should be collected and sent for testing.
Read: Two health workers show symptoms of Nipah virus infection; Kerala Health minister
Doctors will conduct a TrueNat test for those under observation at the Kozhikode Medical College hospital. The team from the National Institute of Virology, Pune will set up a special lab for the purpose. If the results come out positive, a confirmatory test can be performed and the results can be obtained within 12 hours. Two healthcare workers have been identified with symptoms of Nipah virus infection, the minister had confirmed on Sunday.
The deceased child had developed fever on August 27 and was first admitted to a clinic in his locality. Later, he was taken to a private hospital in Omassery from where he was brought to Kozhikode Medical College hospital. However, he was shifted to another private hospital where he succumbed to the virus early Sunday. The samples of the boy, which were sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, confirmed the presence of the virus.
The first Nipah virus outbreak in South India was reported in the same district in May 2018. The state had witnessed 17 deaths and 18 confirmed cases due to the virus.
