Kozhikode, Jul 21 (PTI) The 14-year-old boy from Kerala’s Malappuram, who was under treatment here for Nipah infection, died on Sunday. The samples of six friends of the deceased boy and a 68-year-old man turned out to be negative, said Health Minister Veena George.
The minister said, “while the six friends were in direct contact with the deceased boy, the 68-year-old man was not. His sample was tested because he was having fever.” Currently, there are 330 people in the contact list out of which 68 are health workers, she added.
“There are 101 people in the high-risk category. Seven of them were admitted to the hospital for treatment. None of the family members of the deceased boy are showing any symptoms,” she said.
The minister said a detailed route map of the boy will be released soon and those who suspect to have come in contact with him should contact the health department and seek treatment.
Meanwhile, the health department on Sunday conducted a fever survey in 307 houses of the Pandikkad panchayat, which is the epicentre of the disease and reported 18 fever cases. In the Anakkayam panchayat, 10 cases of fever were reported during the survey conducted in 310 houses.
The minister said none of them were in the contact list of the deceased boy.
George also said that the mobile laboratory from Pune NIV will reach Kerala on Monday.
The health department has instructed that the seat allotments for Plus One students, which is scheduled on Monday in the district, should be held strictly following protocol.
“Instructions have been given to conduct the allotment by maintaining social distance and all the participants including the officials, the students and parents and others should wear a mask,” the minister said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed condolences over the death of the boy and said all efforts were made to save the teenager.
George had informed that the boy from Pandikkad suffered a massive cardiac arrest at 10.50 am on Sunday and efforts to revive him failed.
“He was on a ventilator and was not conscious. The urine output had reduced this morning. After the massive cardiac arrest, the revival efforts failed and he passed away at 11.30 am,” she said.
The chief minister, in a statement, exhorted everyone to work together to combat the Nipah virus and implored citizens not to destroy the natural habitats of bats.
He also cautioned people against eating fruits half bitten by animals and those found abandoned, besides avoiding the honey found in plantain trees. In case of any contact with bats, their excreta or anything they may have bitten, wash hands with soap or use sanitizer. Contact the Nipah control room for clarification if any, he informed.
The boy went to school on May 11 and till now there are not many cases of patients with symptoms.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan, termed the death as unfortunate and said the government failed to address the issue of deterioration of public health in Kerala.
“It was unfortunate that a boy lost his life due to Nipah. This shows that infectious and communicable diseases are still prevalent in the state.
“The opposition had raised the issue of the spread of epidemics and the deterioration of public health in the state Assembly, but the government has failed to address it,” Satheesan said.
He claimed that the primary reason for Kerala’s public health crisis is the halt in waste removal.
The state is suffering from a lack of pre-monsoon cleaning, he said.
“The government does not have any data on any disease. We had COVID-19, cholera, shigella, hepatitis and now Nipah. Action should be taken to prevent the spread of deadly diseases by coordinating all departments urgently.
“We are not trying to blame the government. The government should take action. Everyone should follow the instructions of the health department,” Satheesan said.
He said the UDF will organise a health conclave to discuss the issues faced by public health in the state.
The state government had announced recently that a special action calendar was being prepared for the prevention of a Nipah outbreak, which has haunted the state on four occasions in the past.
Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021 and 2023 and in Ernakulam district in 2019, and the presence of Nipah virus antibodies had been detected in bats in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts. PTI RRT RRT KH
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