Central team in Kerala to visit Nipah-affected areas
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Concerns grow as Kerala reports sixth Nipah case within a year
A fresh Nipah case in Palakkad district has sent alarm bells ringing and sparked fears that the deadly virus hasn't been contained despite the best efforts of the health authorities. The Palakkad district was hit with a second Nipah case on Saturday (July 12, 2025) night as a 58-year-old man who had died at a private hospital at Perinthalmanna tested positive for the virus. He was under treatment at the Perinthalmanna hospital for fever-related ailments. Since Saturday (July 12, 2025) evening, Palakkad and Malappuram districts have been on tenterhooks. Even before the official confirmation from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune came, health authorities in Palakkad and Malappuram districts swiftly initiated contact-tracing for individuals who interacted with the Nipah victim over the past three weeks. The latest death marks the sixth Nipah case in Kerala within a year, starting with the death of a 14-year-old boy at Pandikkad in Malappuram in July 2024. Health Minister Veena George announced on Sunday (July 13, 2025) that a detailed contact list and route map of the Nipah victim have been prepared and are awaiting release pending confirmation from the NIV. As many as 46 people who came in contact with the Nipah-infected person were traced and advised quarantine. Several surveillance camera footages were examined to trace the contacts and to prepare the route map. A family tree of the deceased person too was mapped out. The Minister said that fieldwork in and around Kumaramputhur was ramped up on Sunday (July 13, 2025) following the Nipah case detection. Fever surveillance is going on, and multiple health worker teams will conduct door-to-door visits to allay fears and provide guidance on precautions against the Nipah virus, which is widely believed to be spreading from fruit-eating bats. 'We will bolster our fight against Nipah by strengthening the health teams involved in it and intensifying preventive measures as soon as we get the final confirmation from NIV, Pune,' said Ms. George. Ms. George urged the public to refrain from visiting friends and relatives in hospitals in Palakkad and Malappuram districts as a precautionary measure to prevent the potential spread of Nipah. To minimise the risk of virus transmission, hospitals have been advised to limit the number of bystanders allowed with patients. Patients, bystanders and healthcare staff have been advised to wear masks. As many as 543 persons across the State, including the 46 contacts of the latest Nipah victim, are currently under observation. When 208 of them are in Malappuram, 219 are in Palakkad, 114 in Kozhikode and two in Ernakulam. Following the death of a 14-year-old boy after the virus infection at Pandikkad in July 2024, a 24-year-old man at Naduvath, Wandoor (Malappuram) fell victim in September 2024. In May this year, a 42-year-old woman from Valanchery (Malappuram) was affected by Nipah. Although she survived the deadly virus, she is yet to recover. In the first week of this month, an 18-year-old girl from Mankada (Malappuram) died of Nipah, and a 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara (Palakkad) is infected. She is currently battling for life.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Second suspected Nipah death in Kerala; tracing, surveillance stepped up
A 57-year-old man from Palakkad district in Kerala, who died on July 12, is suspected to have been infected with the Nipah virus , prompting the government to ramp up contact tracing and field-level surveillance in the area. The man had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in this northern district. His samples were tested at Manjeri Medical College, where the result came back positive for Nipah, Health Minister Veena George said in a statement. She added that the government is awaiting confirmation from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. This is the second Nipah-related death reported in Kerala in recent days. Live Events A native of Malappuram had recently died from the infection, while another patient from Palakkad district remains hospitalised. In response to the fresh suspected case, the government has ramped up contact tracing and field-level surveillance in the area. A list of 46 people who came into contact with the patient has been drawn up. CCTV footage and mobile tower location data have been used to help identify those on the contact list. A detailed route map of the patient's recent movements has been prepared, along with a family tree to trace close contacts. Health teams are now carrying out fever surveillance in the region to detect any possible symptoms in others. "Field teams have been strengthened, and all available data is being used to monitor the situation," George said. Further steps will be taken once confirmation is received from the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The minister has also instructed officials to step up the response team, considering the seriousness of the case. Authorities have urged people in Palakkad and Malappuram districts to avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, especially under the current circumstances. Visits to friends or relatives receiving treatment should be strictly limited, officials said. Only one person is allowed to accompany a patient as a bystander. Both healthcare workers and those coming to the hospital, including patients and their companions, are required to wear masks at all times, an official release said. According to the WHO, Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that spreads from animals to humans and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or via direct human-to-human contact. The Nipah virus contact list now includes a total of 543 people. Of these, 46 individuals are linked to the newly confirmed case, it said. PTI Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Business Standard
H5N1 avian influenza detected in Odisha; govt culls over 6,700 birds
Over 6,700 birds were culled on Saturday and Sunday following standard operating procedure (SOP) lay down by the Centre, a senior official said Press Trust of India Bhubaneswar A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in a poultry farm in Odisha's Puri district, prompting the state government to launch emergency containment measures, including mass culling of over 6,700 birds, a senior official said on Sunday. The state government resorted to mass culling of the birds after the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, confirmed that samples collected from Bada Ankula village in Delanga block of the district tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus, he added. Over 6,700 birds were culled on Saturday and Sunday following standard operating procedure (SOP) lay down by the Centre, he said. Sarat Kumar Behera, chief district veterinary officer (CDVO), Puri, informed that five rapid response teams (RRTs) along with health teams have been deployed in the area where bird flu cases were detected. "We have completely restricted the movement of live birds in and out of the infected zone," he said. After completing culling within a 1-km radius of the village, samples from another five villages have been collected to test for the virus, Behera said. Sources said the village had witnessed unusual poultry deaths over the past week, but the outbreak was officially confirmed only after villagers raised concerns and officials collected samples on July 9. Meanwhile, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik visited the bird flu infected area to take stock of containment measures taken to prevent further spread of the virus. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
