Kozhikode district can now said to be free of Nipah virus infection as no new case has been reported in the last 42 days (a double incubation period from the day the last case was reported), an official statement issued by Health Minister Veena George has said.
A Nipah control room, which was opened in connection with the infection outbreak, would be closed, even though the Health Department would continue its vigil, the statement said here on Saturday.
Ms. George said it was the systematic and coordinated manner in which the department and others functioned which led to the control of the outbreak. She expressed appreciation and gratitude to the healthcare workers who had relentlessly worked to organise control activities.
As soon as the first case was reported, the department had got together its resources to set up 18 core committees, which prepared a clear action plan to be followed for the next few days.
Within 36 hours of the outbreak, a point-of-care lab was set up at the medical college hospital and community surveillance was initiated.
A medical team, which included Kudumbashree workers, volunteers and panchayat members, was put together for surveying Karasseri, Kodiyathur, Mavoor, Mukkam and Chathamangalam panchayats. The medical team surveyed 16,732 households and the route map of 240 cases was published. The team also got across to every single person on the contact list.
The bat survey team of NIV, Pune, had collected samples from 103 bats in the locality and the presence of IgG antibodies had been detected in some bat samples. In this background, more studies would be conducted regarding the origin of the virus.
The results of the bat samples which were collected and sent to Bhopal by the district Animal Husbandry Department were, however, negative for Nipah antibodies.
While adequate stock of drugs was maintained by Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd., a clinical data management system software had been readied by e-Health. All healthcare workers in the government and private hospitals were trained in Nipah prevention and control activities and adequate mental health care services were ensured for those who were put in quarantine.
All Nipah prevention and control activities were led by the Secretaries of various departments, District Collectors, DMOs and other administrators.
