Death of Malappuram girl confirmed as Nipah, Palakkad reports new case
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 5 (PTI): The recent death of an 18-year-old girl in Kerala's Malappuram district was confirmed as Nipah infection, health department sources here said on Saturday.
The patient, hailing from Chettiyarangadi in Malappuram, had succumbed after receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode district.
Initial tests indicated Nipah and the infection was subsequently confirmed by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune after sample examination, the sources said.
A 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara in Palakkad district also tested positive for Nipah, prompting the authorities on Friday to issue a strong warning to the public and health workers to remain extremely vigilant.
In view of the Nipah case reported in the district, health authorities in Malappuram initiated surveillance in 20 wards in panchayats like Makkaraparamba, Kuruva, Kootilangadi, and Mankada, an official statement said here on Saturday.
The objective was to identify the source of the disease and strengthen household-based awareness, it said.
A total of 65 teams visited 1,655 houses and found no one with symptoms of Nipah during the survey, the statement added.
State Health Minister Veena George held a high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram to review the situation.
She informed that 425 people are on the Nipah contact list, with 228 in Malappuram, 110 in Palakkad, and 87 in Kozhikode.
Of them, five people are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and the test result of another person in the contact list turned negative for the infection, the minister's office said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry is considering deploying the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Kerala to assist the state government in implementing public health measures, following the detection of two Nipah virus cases, sources said in New Delhi.
The Central Surveillance Unit of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), NCDC, is in close contact with the state unit and is actively monitoring the situation.
The State Control Room has been activated for coordinating the various containment activities.
The public health response is guided by the Kerala State NiVD guidelines for surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control.
"Although prima facie, the two cases are epidemiologically unlinked, the timelines of symptom onset and the possibility of a common social event connecting the two are being investigated," a source said.
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Skeleton handed over to police, says Lawyer for Dharmasthala mass burials case complainant
Belthangady: A skeleton, allegedly buried as mentioned in the complaint related to the Dharmasthala mass burials case, has been exhumed and handed over to the Belthangady police. Pawan Deshpande, the lawyer representing the complainant, stated that all necessary legal procedures were followed and a formal statement was recorded before the judge.
The complainant, who has alleged the mass burial of bodies in Dharmasthala, appeared before the Principal Civil Judge and JMFC Court of Belthangady Taluk on July 11 to give his statement.
Speaking to the media after the court proceedings, advocate Pawan Deshpande said, “The complainant is prepared to clearly identify the locations where the bodies were buried. We will cooperate fully with the police on whatever date they set. Relevant information has already been submitted, and there is a concern that evidence could be destroyed. It is now the responsibility of the police to act and exhume the bodies as per the statement.”
When asked about the identity of the accused in the case, Deshpande clarified that the details have been submitted to the court and are with the investigating officer. “We do not have access to that information,” he said.
The lawyer also confirmed that the complainant has not been arrested or taken into police custody. “He is with us and will appear whenever the police direct him to. The complainant is cooperating with the investigation,” Deshpande added.
