Nipah outbreak in Kerala: 5 cases, over 700 people on contact list, educational institutions shut for 2 days; see top updates

Kerala's Health Minister Veena on Wednesday confirmed another case of the Nipah virus, taking the total number of affected persons in the state to five. A 24-year-old health worker at a private hospital in Kozhikode has been diagnosed with the Nipah virus, the minister said, adding that the process of contact tracing has begun.

"Of 706 contacts, 77 are in the high-risk category, 153 health workers are in the low-risk category," George said, as per ANI. She said that the Kerala government has formed 19 committees to monitor the outbreak of the Nipah virus in the state.

In addition, as many as 13 people have been put under observation in a hospital with mild symptoms like headaches.

The virus has so far killed two people in Kerala. The deaths occurred at a private hospital in Kozhikode. 

Nipah virus:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person.

In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers, as per WHO.

Nipah virus in Kerala: Here's what we know so far

Responding to a query regarding the Nipah infection in the assembly, George had said the virus strain seen in Kerala was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious.

A review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was also held in the wake of the outbreak of the brain-damaging virus.

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", George had said.

The minister had also said the WHO and ICMR studies had found out that the entire state of Kerala is prone to getting such infections, not just Kozhikode.

A 24-hour control room was set up in the neighbouring district of Wayanad following the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode.

In the wake of the Nipah outbreak, a holiday has been declared for all educational institutions in Kozhikode on Thursday and Friday.

The holiday was declared by Kozhikode District Collector A Geetha who in a Facebook post said educational institutions can arrange online classes on the two days for students. However, there will be no change in university exams schedule, she added.

(With agencies inputs)

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Also Read: Nipah virus in Kerala: Two others, including 9-yr-old boy, test positive after 2 deaths; Central team rushed in