Presence of Nipah virus confirmed

The Health Department has confirmed Nipah virus (NiV) infection for the first time in the State with the blood and body fluid samples of two persons who died of viral fever in the past fortnight in Kozhikode district indicating the presence of the zoonotic disease.

At the same time, two more are suspected to have died in similar circumstances on Sunday.

Director of Health Services R.L. Saritha told the media late Sunday night that laboratory results from National Virology Institute, Pune, had confirmed that the deceased were infected with the virus.

Three members of a family from Sooppikkada village in the Changaroth grama panchayat limits in Kozhikode had died in the past two weeks due to viral encephalitis and myocarditis. Blood samples of two among them and one of their family members were sent to the virology institute for tests.

Meanwhile, the names of those who died on Sunday were given as Ismail of Koottalida and Janaki Amma of Perambra.

However, it was yet to be confirmed whether they were infected with NiV. Nine persons, including some of the family members of the deceased from Changaroth, and those who had interacted with them, are undergoing treatment at government and private hospitals in Kozhikode and Kochi.

Infection can lead to acute respiratory syndrome and fatal encephalitis among humans.

The virus is capable of causing diseases in domestic animals too. There is no vaccine for the disease and the only form of treatment is supportive medicines. Fever clinics and special wards will be set up in private and government hospitals and a seven-member task force has been formed to monitor the overall activities. This was decided at a meeting chaired by the Collector at the civil station here on Sunday.

A control room has been opened at the District Medical Officer’s office (Ph: 0495-2376063).

Central team coming

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda has directed the Director of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to visit Kozhikode to assist the State government in the wake of death of two persons due to Nipah virus.

A Central team will also be visiting the State to monitor the situation.