Kozhikode: The day after a 12-year-old boy from Chathhamangalam died after Nipah infection, the number of contacts, traced by the Ministry of Health, rose to 251, which was a symptom.
After the reviews on Monday night, Health Minister Veena George said the conditions of all symptomatic contacts, including parents, relatives of boys and health workers, stable.
He said the test results of eight symptomatic contacts would be available from the National Virology Institute, Pune on Monday night and will be announced on Tuesday morning.
He said it was relieved that symptoms of high-risk contacts were not intensified.
Thirty eight out of 54 highrisk contacts received at Nipah Ward of Kozhikode Medical College for observation.
“Of 251 contacts, 129 are health workers and 30 of 54 high-risk contacts are also health workers,” he said, adding that the relatively large health worker in the contact list was caused by the fact that the boy was brought to one clinic and four Hospital, including medical colleges.
Meanwhile, Nipah testing facilities were temporarily established in medical colleges by personnel from NIV, Pune who arrived on Monday afternoon.
Both truenat testing points and symptomatic RT-PCR testing and asymptomatic contacts can be done at new facilities starting Monday night.
“If the sample is positive, they must be retested in NIV, Pune but establishing this facility will help us begin care without delay.
We will conduct tests on three remaining symptomatic patients in medical colleges and the results will be available in three hours.
“George said.
Meanwhile, the official team from the Livestock Department (AHD) who visited the house and the closest area of the boy found that the bat used to come to two rambutan trees located in the nearest plot.
The team also collected samples of fruits, allegedly half-eaten by bats or birds, for testing.
Also, the bat habitat was found across the river and nine samples were taken from there.
The AHD team also collected blood and samples from a goat kept by the boy’s family.
AHD officials said there were no previous reports of nipah infection through goats but testing was carried out after the report that the boy had maintained a sick goat two months ago.
The minister said that the team from Bhopal would reach Kozhikode, as part of the steps to identify the source of infection, on Wednesday.
He said the number of contacts could also increase because the department launched intensive search exercises.
Of 251 contacts, 250 is the main contact while one is secondary contact.
All contacts, except for two health care workers from Malappuram and Kannur, come from Kozhikode.
Also the supervision of an intensive home-to-home fever will be carried out in the detention zone, 3 KM area around the boy’s house, from Tuesday.
George said the country’s nip-level control cell has been established in Thiruvananthapuram and DMO from other districts attending training programs.
He added that the state medical council had provided a nod to include remedies for care with Ribavirin.
He said that the steps were taken by ICMR to accelerate the procurement of human monoclonal antibodies from Australia and can be carried in two days after the approval needed.
E-Health software has been developed to help supervise Nipah and data analysis, which will be stored in the country data center.
Access will be limited to the Ministry of Health staff.
Also, 317 health workers in Kozhikode were given training and awareness of Nipah.
The Ministry of Health suspended Covid vaccination for 48 hours in Kozhikode.
Kerala Nipah Death: 251 Contacts Traced
