Nipah Alert: Centre To Get More Medicine From Australia, Kerala HC Seeks Rules For Sabarimala — Top Points
Kozhikode educational institutions are to remain shut till September 24.
A day after a new Nipah virus case was identified in Kozhikode bringing the total number of affected individuals to six, the Centre decided to procure more monoclonal antibodies from Australia. A 39-year-old man tested posted for the Nipah virus days after he came in contact with a patient, who died on August 30. Till now, four patients are currently receiving treatment while two others died due to the infection.
The Kerala High Court has also ordered to issue guidelines for Sabarimala pilgrims.
Nipah Alert — Top Developments:
- According to PTI, Centre decided to procure 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia as one more tests positive for Nipah in Kerala.
India has sought 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody, medicine needs to be given during early stage of infection: ICMR DG on Nipah situation
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2023 - Kozhikode educational institutions are to remain shut till September 24.
- Kerala police filed a case against a 40-year-old man for spreading fake news on Nipah virus.
- The Kerala High Court told the state government to issue guidelines for the Sabarimala pilgrims as the temple will be opened for monthly puja amid the wake of Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district. The Court on Friday asked Travancore Devaswom Board commissioner to consult with the health secretary and take a decision regarding the situation.
Every Malayalam month, the Pathanamthitta district's hilltop temple Sabarimala opens for five days. It will be accessible to pilgrims this month on Sunday. In the meantime, the state administration informed the court that restrictions had been put in place in the northern Kozhikode district. - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General, Dr Rajiv Bahl, said on Friday said Nipah virus can spread by respiratory droplets and has a fatality rate of 40 to 70 per cent in comparison to COVID-19 which has only 2-3 per cent fatality rate.
Bahl said "Nipah is a zoonotic virus (transmission of virus from animal to humans). Fruit bats are the reservoirs of the virus. It can be spread via droplets, besides blood and bodily fluids." Despite the high fatality rate, Bahl claimed that the virus had smaller episodes and is less contagious than Covid, with maximum cases reaching 100.
Nipah has become well-known in four or five nations, including Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and India since its initial recognition in 1999.
Kerala is now experiencing its fourth Nipah outbreak since 2018. The current cases have been detected roughly 15 km from Kozhikode, where the Nipah virus outbreak started in India's sourthern state in May 2018. It was again detected in 2021.
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