Kozhikode: The condition of the latest Nipah-infected man from Cheruvannur is stable, said Kerala Health Minister Veena George during the media briefing after an all-party meeting here on Friday.
The patient does not have serious symptoms and has been isolated in hospital, the minister said.
The 39-year-old man is on the contact list of the index patient from Maruthonkara. The Cheruvannur native had visited Iqraa Hospital on August 28 when the first victim visited there. Both visited the hospital as bystanders.
"The nine-year-old child, the son of the first victim, continues to be on ventilator support. But his health condition is stable," the minister said.
All positive cases in the first victim's contact list
All the Nipah-positive cases are from the contact list of the first victim from Maruthonkara, the minister said. "We are trying to trace the maximum number of contacts of patients and victims. That's why we have decided to trace the mobile locations of the Nipah-affected persons," she said.
She said the decision to set up two mobile labs, along with the virology lab in Kozhikode MCH, was taken after sensing that the number in the contact list would be high. "This will help us get the maximum number of tests done in Kozhikode itself. Since we have NIV's lab here, we can get the confirmation without delay. The mobile lab from the Rajiv Gandhi Biotechnology has two machines, each with a capacity to test 96 samples in a day," she added.
She said the isolation period for a suspected case is 21 days. "Even if the sample tests negative, the person should continue in isolation and get retested if needed."
She asked the public to check the root map of the latest Nipah-positive patient and inform health officials if anybody comes in the contact limit.
Don't provoke bats
"Because bats carry the Nipah virus, provoking the mammals to fly away from their resting places will only make them secrete more viruses," she warned. She added that more viruses are produced in bats from April to September.
Case against fake news on social media
Koyilanty police have registered a case for spreading fake news regarding the Nipah outbreak, said Kerala Works Minister Mohammed Riyas.
"If we are forced to close schools, we will have to think of (effective) online classes," Riyas said. A meeting has been arranged this afternoon to discuss the issue.
