Nipah outbreak under control but threat is not over yet, says Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Pinarayi Vijayan. File Pic

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that the Nipah outbreak reported from Kozhikode district is under control but the threat of the infectious disease is not over yet, the PTI reported.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that at present, it is not possible to rule out the chance of a second wave of the Nipah outbreak, according to the PTI.

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"It cannot be said that the threat of Nipah is completely over," the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told a press conference, the news agency reported.

Pinarayi Vijayan said the state health system could effectively prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

"The health system is working cautiously. Early detection of the virus averted a dangerous situation," CM Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Narrating the steps taken by the government to check the prevention of the disease, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that currently 994 people are under surveillance.

Samples of 304 people were collected, and of this, the test results of 267 people have been received, he added.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan that said six people tested positive and nine people are under observation at Kozhikode Medical College.

The Chief Minister said even the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) could not provide a clear answer to why Nipah cases are being reported from Kozhikode district.

Nipah cases were reported from the Kozhikode district on previous occasions in 2018 and 2021.

Meanwhile, on Monday, while speaking about the situation related to Nipah outbreak in Kerala, the Kerala health minister stated that the virus is completely under control, and more than 200 samples from the high-risk contacts were tested negative.

In an interview with PTI news agency, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said so far 1,233 contacts have been traced and categorised into high-risk and low-risk contacts.

"A very positive thing is that all four patients under treatment are now stable, and the condition of the nine-year-old boy, who was on ventilator support, is improving clinically. He is now out of ventilator support and is being given minimal oxygen support," Veena George said.

Around 19 teams on the field which are helping to implement strict protocol in order to bring things under control. "So far, we have six positive cases, and all the samples tested for the last three days were negative," the minister said.

(with PTI inputs)