New Delhi: A 24-year-old health worker on Wednesday has been confirmed positive for the Nipah virus in Kozhikode district, taking the total number of Nipah cases in Kerala to five since its recent outbreak.
This comes as the government stepped up its efforts to cure a 9 year-old boy suffering from the deadly infection by ordering the only anti-viral treatment available from ICMR.
In a statement on Wednesday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that a health worker employed at a private hospital in Kozhikode has been confirmed with Nipah virus infection after his samples turned positive.
George further said that the government has ordered monoclonal antibody from ICMR to treat the 9-year-old boy. "We have ordered the monoclonal antibody with the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and it would be brought to Kozhikode soon. The imported medicine is already available with the ICMR," she said.
It is the only available anti-viral treatment for Nipah virus infection, though it has not been clinically proven yet, reported PTI.
George said the child is on ventilator support at a hospital in Kozhikode, and his condition remains critical.
The condition of all 76 people who are in the high-risk contact category remains stable, she said, adding that 13 persons who have mild symptoms are now being monitored in the hospital, and only the child is in the Intensive Care Unit.
According to the minister, testing of the samples is done regularly in the labs at Kozhikode Medical College and Thonnakkal virology lab and the samples of those with intense symptoms will be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
While talking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram after attending a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the minister said the district collector has been authorised to issue orders directing people to avoid mass gatherings in Kozhikode till September 24.
Notably, the meeting was held after the brain-damaging virus killed two people and infected as many in Kozhikode district.
"The district collector can decide whether to issue such a direction and the duration as per her analysis of the situation," George said.
The high-level meeting chaired by the CM analysed the situation thoroughly and "we have come to the conclusion that all the possible prevention measures are in place and there is no need to panic", she said.
The virus strain seen in the state was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious, the government said.