Palakkad, Malappuram administrations step up vigil against Nipah

The Hindu

12 hours ago

The Palakkad and Malappuram district administrations have stepped up their efforts to prevent the spread of Nipah virus by strengthening medical surveillance in affected areas.
An adolescent girl from Chettiyarangadi, near Makkaraparamba, in Malappuram and a 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara in Palakkad tested positive for Nipah.
The girl from Malappuram succumbed to the deadly virus at a hospital in Kozhikode and the woman from Palakkad is battling for life in the ICU of Moulana Hospital, Perinthalmanna.
Health Minister Veena George said on Sunday that 383 persons in the State were under observation. While 241 of them are in Malappuram district, 142 are in Palakkad, 92 in Kozhikode, and two in Kochi.
As many as 12 persons are under treatment in Malappuram, five of them in ICU. Four persons connected to the Palakkad woman are currently under treatment in isolation.
According to Ms. George, those in isolation received mental support through regular phone calls. Additional ICU and isolation facilities were set up in Palakkad, Malappuram and Kozhikode to prepare for a potential surge in patients, she said.
Palakkad District Collector G. Priyanka said on Sunday that health teams had visited 2,185 houses in Thachanattukara and Karimpuzha panchayats in the district as part of Nipah surveillance. 'We have offered psychological counselling to 165 persons over telephone,' said Ms. Priyanka.
She said a control room functioning round the clock at Government Medical College, Palakkad, handled several calls since Nipah was reported first time in the district.
Containment zones
Kundoorkunnu (ward 7), Palodu (ward 8), Parammal (ward 9) and Chamaparamba (ward 11) in Thachanattukara panchayat were declared containment zones. In Karimpuzha panchayat, Attasseri (ward 17) and Cholakkurissi (ward 18) were declared containment zones.
Ms. Priyanka warned that people living in containment zones should not congregate and should not visit patients in hospitals until Nipah restrictions are lifted. 'They should wear N95 masks while going out,' she said, advising them to avoid travel outside their wards.
Control room number
Those in quarantine as well as their caregivers should wear N95 masks. Hands should be sanitised frequently. Anyone experiencing symptoms like fever, cough, headache, breathing difficulties, mental confusion or loss of consciousness should promptly contact local health workers or call the control room at 0491-2504002.