New Delhi: The Kerala Health Department has issued an alert notice for Kannur, Wayanad, and Malappuram after the confirmation of a Nipah virus infection in Kozhikode.
Kerala’s Health Minister, Veena George, has confirmed that the health department has reached out to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to ensure the availability of monoclonal antibodies for treating Nipah patients in a private hospital.
Prior to this, the health department had already issued an alert in Kozhikode in response to two fatalities linked to fever.
The samples were sent to the Pune Institute of Virology to verify if they indeed contained the Nipah virus, prompting the authorities to increase containment measures.
The Health Minister informed that they initiated defensive measures ahead of time, including contact tracing and ongoing surveillance operations in the affected area.
Minister Veena George conducted a meeting with the district officials last evening to assess the situation and implement the required actions.
Both the Health Minister and the Minister of Public Works Department, Mohammed Riyaz, arrived in Kozhikode earlier on Tuesday to collaborate with the district administration on coordinating activities.
An urgent meeting took place involving the district’s MLAs, representatives from affected regions, the district collector, high-ranking health department personnel, and other district officials.
As per an official government statement, a dedicated Nipah control centre has been established within the district, and the contact numbers for this centre are (0495 2383100, 0495 2383101, 0495 2384100, 0495 2384101, 0495 2386100).
The district collector of Kozhikode has declared specific Grama Panchayat wards as containment zones in accordance with section (4) of the Kerala Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance 2020. These include:
– Aayanchery Gramapanchayat: Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, and 15.
– Maruthonkara Gramapanchayat: Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, and 14.
– Thiruvallur Gramapanchayat: Wards 1, 2, and 20.
– Kuttiyadi Gramapanchayat: Wards 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
– Kayakkodi Gramapanchayat: Wards 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
– Villiapalli Gramapanchayat: Wards 6 and 7.
– Kavilumpara Gramapanchayat: Wards 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.