With Moosa's death, the Nipah toll has touched 12.Kozhikode: The dreaded Nipah has literally wiped out a family in Perambra by claiming the life of the fourth member of the house on Thursday. Sooppikkada Valachuketti Moosa, who was battling the disease for the past many days, breathed his last at the Baby Memorial Hospital in Kozhikode.
With Moosa's death, the Nipah toll has touched 12.
Moosa's sons Muhammed Salih and Muhammed Sabith, and his brother Moideen’s wife Mariam were the first victims of the Nipah outbreak in the state.
The outbreak of the virus infection, which is a zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans, is suspected to be from an unused well which was infested with bats and belonged to the Moosa family. The well was later sealed.
Funeral of Mossa, Nipah virus victimAdvise to Travellers
With the deaths due to the deadly Nipah virus being reported so far from northern Kerala, the state government has issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur. The government has also called for an all-party meeting at Kozhikode on May 25 to discuss the issue.
Kozhikode district collector U V Jose has ordered temporary stoppage of all training programmes and summer camps in affected areas such as Changaroth, Koorachund, Kottur, Cheruvannur, Chekyad, Chakkittapara and Olavanna.
The anganwadis is these regions too have been asked to close down to avoid the spread of the virus among children.
An expert team from the National Centre for Disease-Control (NCDC), including its director, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh and head of epidemiology, Dr S K Jain, and a high-level team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) are already in Kerala to take stock of the situation. Surveillance has been increased in all districts.
Nipah in Karnatak too?
Two suspected cases of Nipah virus reported from Karnataka. A 20-year old woman and a 75-year-old man in Karnataka's port city of Mangalore after they travelled to Kerala and came into contact with infected patients there.
(with PTI Inputs)
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