Nipah virus: Kerala shuts schools in Kozhikode, Australian antibodies sought

With Kerala’s Kozhikode reporting another confirmed case of Nipah virus on Friday, the state government declared holidays for educational institutions in the district till September 24.

India is set to procure 20 more vials of antibody vaccines to treat the infected, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

On Friday, one more case of Nipah virus infection was confirmed in Kerala’s Kozhikode district after the sample of a 39-year-old man turned positive, taking the total number of cases to six. Active cases now stand at four after two people died due to the infection. A 24-year-old health worker became Kerala’s fifth confirmed Nipah case on Wednesday since its recent outbreak. Kerala has issued several alerts since the outbreak. The increase in the total number of cases prompted neighbouring Karnataka to issue safety guidelines, too.

The Nipah virus strain in Kerala is the Bangladesh variant that spreads from humans and is characterised by high mortality despite lower infectivity. The virus, for which there is no vaccine, spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs, or humans and has a mortality rate of up to 75% among those infected.

This is the fourth time the viral infection has been confirmed in the state. It was detected in Kozhikode in 2018 and 2021 and in Ernakulam in 2019.

Here’s what we know about the Nipah virus outbreak so far.

Nipah virus outbreak updates
Kerala High Court on Friday asked the state government to issue guidelines, if required, for the pilgrimage to Sabarimala when it opens for the monthly puja in view of the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district. The court asked the Travancore Devaswom Board commissioner to hold discussions with the health secretary and take a decision on the matter.

India has reached out to Australia to procure 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Nipah virus infection amid cases being reported from Kerala, ICMR DG Rajeev Bahl said on Friday.

Kerala police registered a case against a 40-year-old man for allegedly posting fake news through social media on the deadly Nipah virus infections in the state.

A 39-year-old man tested positive for the Nipah virus, which was transmitted to him through direct contact with an infected person who died on August 30, State Health Minister Veena George said here on Friday.

Restrictions continued in the Nipah containment zones in Kerala’s Kozhikode and Friday prayers were called off to “co-operate with the government authorities to control this disease”.

The Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Rajeev Bahl on Friday warned that the mortality rate in Nipah virus infection cases is very high compared to the Covid-19 infection. The mortality rate in Nipah virus cases is between 40 and 70%, as compared to the mortality in Covid, which was 2-3%, he said.

All educational institutes in Kerala’s Kozhikode district will remain closed for a week until next Sunday in view of the Nipah virus outbreak reported from the region, the state government announced on Friday. The closure order will apply to schools, professional colleges, tuition centres and other educational institutions in the district. Earlier, the government had declared holidays till September 16.

A review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was also held in the wake of the outbreak of the brain-damaging virus. The high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister analysed the situation thoroughly and Veena George said, “We have come to the conclusion that all the possible prevention measures are in place and there is no need to panic”.

At present, the contact list of confirmed Nipah patients includes 1,080 people, with 130 new additions today. Out of this, 327 people are health workers. Apart from Kozhikode, 29 people in the contact list are from neighbouring districts, with 22 in Malappuram, three each in Kannur and Thrissur, and one in Wayanad. In the high-risk category, 175 are common people and 122 are healthcare workers. Health Minister Veena George has informed that the number of people on the contact list is likely to increase.

Earlier this week, Kerala declared seven villages as containment zones in Kozhikode after the state registered two deaths from the deadly brain-damaging Nipah virus. These two deaths occurred at a private hospital in Kozhikode. Four people under treatment are relatives of the second deceased person. Their samples were sent for testing. Two tested positive, including a 9-year-old child and a 24-year-old relative. The 9-year-old child of the deceased is in ventilation at a private hospital.