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52 high-risk contacts of Nipah patient under close examination

318 persons had contact with the Nipah-afflicted patient

June 07, 2019 11:39 pm | Updated June 08, 2019 12:04 am IST - KOCHI

A health official in full protective gear at an isolation ward of Government Medical College in Ernakulam.

A health official in full protective gear at an isolation ward of Government Medical College in Ernakulam.

The Health Department is keeping a close watch over 52 persons who had come into contact with the Nipah-afflicted patient and were subsequently classified as high-risk category. They were among 318 persons traced to have contact with the affected youngster. Among them, 266 have been classified as low-risk category.

Those who had come into contact with the bodily fluids of the affected patient or had been with him for not less than 12 hours were considered as high risk category. The health machinery is working overtime to trace more persons, if any, who happened to be in contact with the patient. An expert team will conduct a field investigation at the places where the Nipah-afflicted patient has been to, including the hospital where he had initially received treatment.

Experts from the National Institute of Virology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) and National Centre for Disease Control have conducted studies by visiting various places. Experts from AIIMS and NIMHANS visited the hospital and conducted the clinical study of the patient.A point-of-care lab for conducting Nipah-related tests has been set up at the microbiology lab of the Government Medical College, Ernakulam, with the help of experts from the National Institute of Virology.

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