Nipah Kerala: 8 more tests return negative in Malappuram

Malappuram/Kerala: Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that eight more test results of those who were on the contact list of the child who died due to the Nipah virus came negative.

The boy from Malappuram, who was undergoing treatment for Nipah infection at Kozhikode Medical College, died on July 21.

After attending the Nipah review meeting held at the Malappuram Collector's Conference Hall online, George said 66 samples have returned negative results.

"However, two more people were admitted to hospitals, and a total of eight are currently under treatment at Manjeri and Kozhikode medical colleges. As of now, there are 472 people on the contact list, out of which 220 are under the high-risk category," the minister said in a statement.

She said the health workers have completed house visits at Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats.

The health department said a total of 27,908 houses were visited by health workers as part of fever surveys.

"Today alone, they have provided mental health assistance to 227 people," the minister said.

The health department also asked those who were discharged from the hospital to undergo a 21-day isolation strictly.

A Central team of health experts visited Malappuram on Wednesday to assess the situation.

Kerala Health Department confirmed that the teenage boy in the state, who died of Nipah on Sunday, consumed hog plum fruit from his neighbourhood, where the presence of fruit bats was also confirmed. Fruit bats are known as reservoirs of the Zoonotic virus, The Indian Express reported

The health minister had said, following a review in Malappuram, that the boy's friends informed him that he had eaten the fruit before he developed fear.

According to the minister, an analysis of earlier incidents of Nipah infection in the state inferred that the strain of the virus found in the affected persons in the state was similar to the strain found in the body of the fruit bats.