Relief as one more person tests negative for Nipah

Kozhikode: One more person tested negative for Nipah virus in Malappuram on Thursday taking the total number of contacts of the 24-year-old Nipah victim from Thiruvali in Malappuram who have so far tested negative to 37.
Health minister Veena George who held a meeting with health department officials and people's representatives at Malappuram on Thursday said that two persons were added to the contact list of the Nipah victim on Thursday and both are in high-risk category.With this, the number of persons in the contact list has risen to 268.
George said that seven persons have reported mild symptoms including fever, sore throat and headache and their samples will be collected for testing.
Of the 268 contacts, 81 are health workers and 177 are primary contacts and 90 secondary contacts. In the primary contact category, 134 have been classified in high-risk group.
The minister said that samples of all persons in the contact list would be collected and tested and samples of those showing symptoms will be collected first.
Currently, six persons are admitted to Manjeri medical college and 21 at the MES medical college at Perinthalmanna.
As many as 265 people have been provided psychological support through the call centre. The field survey held in Mampad, Thiruvali and Wandoor panchayat concluded on Thursday after covering 7,953 houses. As many as 175 fever cases were reported during the survey.
George said that health workers have informed that they have been told that the Nipah victim had eaten some fruits collected from the house compound and that bats used to be sighted in the area. The minister said that the team of bat experts from NIV has been requested to collect bat samples from the area.
The 24-year-old youth who started showing symptoms on Sept 4 died at the MES Hospital in Perinthalmanna on Sept 9.