Efforts to thwart the advance of a second wave of Nipah virus infection are on in Kerala even as one more death was reported from Kozhikode district on Thursday. This is the third death in two days, taking the total death toll in the State to 17.
Rasin, 25, son of Bhaskaran of Kottoor grama panchayat in the district, succumbed to the infection at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH).
R.L. Saritha, Director, Health Services, told the media that he was admitted to the hospital on May 26. He was on the contact list of persons who were suspected to have contracted infection from those who died earlier. Rasin is believed to have got the infection from Ismail when both of them were undergoing treatment at the Balussery taluk hospital.
Ismail was later referred to the MCH, where he died due to Nipah infection on May 20. However, the authorities are yet to figure out the source of infection of Akhil, who died on Wednesday.
Dr. Saritha said that Rasin did not have any contact with the family members of V. Moosa of Chengaroth, near Perambra, who are considered to be the first source of infection. As he contracted it from a second source, the department has now begun activities considering this as a second wave of infection, she pointed out.
More people were getting added to the contact list, which now has 1,407 people in it. Details of the fever deaths and fever cases that were reported in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in early May and a couple of weeks before that were being collected from government hospitals and private hospitals. All the probable deaths would be examined and all those related to them would be kept under watch to widen the contact list. Any one exhibiting symptoms could approach the 24x7 helpline set up at the government guest house at 0495-2381000. Ambulance services had been provided to take the suspected patients to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr. Saritha said the two infected persons admitted to the MCH were responding to the treatment and the condition of one of them had improved. The human monoclonal anti-body being procured from Australia would reach here soon, she said.
Caution at district court
District Collector U.V. Jose is expected to soon submit a report to the Registrar of the Kerala High Court on the demand by the Bar Association that the ongoing trials at the district court in Kozhikode be stopped for the time being.
This was against the backdrop of the death of a court staff due to Nipah infection on Wednesday. Mr. Jose said that it was better to be cautious as the court premises were always crowded with people.
