Nipah Virus Alert In Kerala: Containment Zones Identified, Kozhikode Control Room Activated

In the wake of two recent Nipah virus-related deaths in Kozhikode, the Kerala Health Department has issued an alert covering Kannur, Wayanad, and Malappuram districts. The department has taken proactive measures, including the formation of 16 core teams tasked with monitoring surveillance and containment efforts in these affected regions.

Health Minister Veena George, in conversation with news agency ANI, disclosed that the department has reached out to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to ensure the availability of monoclonal antibodies for Nipah patients receiving treatment at a private hospital.

Advanced defense operations have been initiated, along with ongoing contact tracing and surveillance activities in the affected areas.

Nipah control room:

A dedicated Nipah control room has been announced in the district, with the following contact numbers: 0495 2383100, 0495 2383101, 0495 2384100, 0495 2384101, 0495 2386100.

Minister Veena George personally visited Kozhikode Medical College to assess the arrangements and confirmed the availability of essential supplies such as PPE kits for patient care, N95 masks, and protective gear for medical staff. Adequate staffing levels and medicine supplies have also been ensured at the hospitals.

Containment Zones

The Kozhikode district collector has declared specific Grama Panchayat wards as containment zones under Section 4 of the Kerala Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance 2020. These include wards in

• Aayanchery Gramapanchayat - 1,2,3,4,5,12,13,1 and 15 wards
• Maruthonkara Gramapanchayat - 1,2,3,4,5,12,13 and 14 wards·
• Thiruvallur Gramapanchayat - 1,2 and 20·
• Kuttiyadi Gramapanchayat - 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 wards·
• Kayakkodi Gramapanchayat - 5,6,7,8,9,10 wards·
• Villiapalli Gramapanchayat - 6 and 7 wards·
• Kavilumpara Gramapanchayat - 2,10,11,12,13,14,15 and 16

The Health Minister had earlier confirmed that the two persons who succumbed to the virus at a private hospital in Kozhikode were reported positive for Nipah virus. At present, there are two active cases in the district, with a nine-year-old and a 24-year-old relative of the deceased currently receiving treatment at a private medical facility.

The Central government has taken swift action, dispatching a team of health experts to Kerala, as Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya officially attributed the two recent "unnatural deaths" in the state to the Nipah virus. The first death occurred on August 30, followed by a second on September 11.

Notably, Kerala experienced a Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in 2018. Subsequently, in 2021, a Nipah virus case emerged in Kozhikode. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Nipah Virus, transmitted by fruit bats, poses a potential threat to both humans and animals. Symptoms include respiratory illness, fever, muscular pain, headache, dizziness, and nausea.

Nipah virus infection is primarily zoonotic, meaning it can transmit from animals to humans and may also spread through contaminated food or close contact.