Nipah Virus Scare in Kerala: No Confirmation of Nipah, Says Collector After Youth Admitted to Hospital With Symptoms in Ernakulam
An outbreak of Nipah in Kerala had claimed 17 lives, including that of a nurse who treated one of the patients, last year.
Ernakulam, June 2: A suspected case of Nipah virus in Ernakulam district triggered panic among residents of Kerala. A youth from Vadakkekara grama panchayat was admitted to a private hospital after he showed symptoms of Nipah. Ernakulam District Collector Mohammed Y Safirulla on Sunday said there was no confirmation whether the patient was infected with Nipah virus, urging residents not to panic over the development.
The 23-year-old patient has been moved to an isolation ward and his blood samples have been sent for tests. While test results are awaited, some reports said the youth was infected with Nipah virus. Some posts are being circulated on social media claiming that a Nipah-infected patient had been admitted. Ernakulam District Collector and district medical officer Dr M K Kuttappan denied these reports. Nipah Virus Outbreak In Kerala: Only First Victim Infected By Bats, Other Patients Infected At Hospitals.
"The youth had gone for an internship at Keltron in Thrissur and returned home after he fell sick. The fever persisted for more than 10 days and some of the symptoms were of Nipah. He is being taken care of in an isolated ward of the hospital," Dr Kuttappan was quoted as saying. He said that the patient's blood samples have been sent to Manipal Institute of Virology and Kerala State Institute of Virology and Infectious Diseases (KSIVID) in Alappuzha. What is Nipah Virus? How it Spreads, Symptoms & Preventive Measures.
"The results are awaited," he added. In a press release, District Collector Safirulla said: "It is untrue, Nipah has not been confirmed in any patient admitted to any private medical hospital in Ernakulam. It is routine for samples to be sent for testing if a patient is admitted with fever and other symptoms. There is no need to panic." "If the tests prove that the patient has Nipah, the district administration would issue an official notification and resort to preventive measures," he added.
An outbreak of Nipah in Kerala had claimed 17 lives, including that of a nurse who treated one of the patients, last year. A person infected with Nipah virus feels high fever and headache. The virus is spread by fruit bats.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2019 04:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).