Experts say that Nipah virus infections are usually confined to small groups or areas. (file)
Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode:
As there is a daily increase of nearly 30,000 cases of COVID-19 in Kerala, deadly nipah virus This came as another thorn in its favour, prompting the state to further heighten the vigilance of its health machinery to prevent the outbreak of a separate infection.
The southern state, which saw a local outbreak of 63 Zika virus cases in July, mostly confined to Thiruvananthapuram, however, needed to be concerned about the spread of Nipah infection as preventive measures such as the use of masks and PPE kits. Not there. State Health Minister Veena George said on Sunday that more intensive contact tracing was already underway due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the central government has sent a team from the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to provide assistance to the state, where a 12-year-old boy died and two others showed symptoms of virus infection due to Nipah on Sunday. lamps.
However, experts like Dr Amar Fetal, Dr TS Anish and Dr TN Suresh said there is less cause for concern at present as the state has already dealt with the Nipah virus twice – when it raised its head in 2018. And 2019 – and this time the risk of transmission will be lower because protective measures, such as wearing masks and PPE kits, are already in place.
He also said that Nipah infection is usually confined to small groups or areas.
Experts said “intense contact tracing” and quarantining of all primary contacts were the two main steps to ensure effective control over the spread of the infection.
Dr Fatale, H1N1 nodal officer, said Nipah infection is very pathogenic, but when patients become critical, they are more likely to spread – when they are hospitalised.
He said that therefore the risk of spreading the infection would be higher in the hospital than at the community level.
Therefore, while doing contact tracing, people who may have come in contact with the patient in hospitals should be traced “carefully”, he said.
He said that the steps taken by the state to deal with COVID-19, such as preparation of time stamped route maps of patients, would also come in handy here as it would help the public health authorities to inform people about the places visited by the infected person. Will help. Times.
He said that this would enable people to know which ones need to be quarantined themselves or if they display symptoms then come forward for testing and avoid widespread panic in the district or state.
Dr Anish, expert in community medicine, and Dr Suresh, general secretary of the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association, were of similar view that contact tracing and quarantining of primary contacts were the two most important steps at present.
Dr Anish said that Nipah is usually confined to small areas or clusters and its numbers are very less and rarely cross 50.
Dr Suresh said that the state has already dealt with the virus twice and hence, there is already a model in place to deal with it.
Also, due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, people are already taking preventive steps like wearing masks and kits, and hence, the spread of Nipah can be reduced.
Besides, due to COVID-19, the list of contacts of the victims will be limited, he said and added that local containment activities are already in motion.
He said the primary contacts would be kept in quarantine and if they display symptoms, they would be tested. Thereafter, based on the results, supportive medical care will be provided.
All experts said supportive care is the only form of treatment as there is no cure or vaccine for Nipah.
He also said that the chances of patients contracting both Nipah and COVID-19 were low.
The state health minister told the media earlier in the day that the information about the boy’s infection status was received late, but as soon as he came to know about it, the department swung into action and held an emergency meeting on Saturday night itself. To prepare an action plan.
She said that a special team was formed that night for contact tracing and identification of primary contacts and it was doing that work effectively.
The minister said preparations have been made to isolate or isolate those in the primary contact list and later, after another meeting at the Kozhikode Medical College, a treatment protocol will be decided.
Later in the day, she said that two more people showed symptoms of Nipah infection and were being monitored.
He said both the health workers at the hospitals where the victim was taken, are among 20 high-risk contacts of the 12-year-old child.
He had earlier said that the districts around Kannur and Malappuram have also been directed to be on alert for any case of Nipah.
The minister had also said that it is being probed as to why the case was registered again in Kozhikode as it happened in 2018 when the first infection was reported in the same district.
The first Nipah virus disease outbreak in South India was reported from Kozhikode district of Kerala on May 19, 2018. As of June 1, 2018, there have been 17 deaths and 18 confirmed cases.
The outbreak was contained and declared by June 10, 2018.
Subsequently, in June 2019, a new case of Nipah was reported from Kochi and the only patient was a 23-year-old student, who later recovered.
With one case reported this year, this is the fifth time the virus has been detected in India and the third time in Kerala.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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