Nipah patient from Palakkad in critical condition; daughter, 10-year-old relative test negative

Currently, a total of 425 people are listed as contacts of the infected patients.
Currently, a total of 425 people are listed as contacts of the infected patients.
Currently, a total of 425 people are listed as contacts of the infected patients.
Palakkad: The 38-year-old woman who tested positive for the Nipah virus is currently in critical condition at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. The Palakkad native, initially admitted to Perinthalmanna Moulana Hospital, was shifted to Kozhikode Medical College after the National Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed the infection.
Health officials stated that doctors have begun administering monoclonal antibodies to the patient, who is currently on ventilator support.
In a major relief, the woman’s daughter and a 10-year-old relative, who were suffering from fever, have tested negative for the virus. Both were listed as high-risk contacts of the patient.
57 quarantined, 91 in direct contact lsit
The health department has identified 91 people who came into direct contact with the Nipah patient in the district. Among them, 57 have been placed under quarantine. According to official data, a total of 110 people are under surveillance in the district.
The district authorities have opened a 24-hour control room as part of preventive measures. A 25-member committee has also been formed. The Palakkad Government Medical College has set up a 40-bed special isolation unit in anticipation of possible admissions. Health Minister Veena George directed officials to isolate individuals on the contact list within the district itself.
District Collector G. Priyanka appealed to the public to avoid visiting areas where bats are commonly seen and advised them not to disturb or drive away the bats.
Officials have initiated action to enforce the restrictions imposed in the containment zones strictly. Only essential services are permitted in wards 7, 8, 9, and 11 of Thachanattukkara Grama Panchayat, and wards 17 and 18 of Karimpuzha Grama Panchayat, which have been declared containment zones.
Meanwhile, the health department has begun an inspection within a 3-kilometre radius of the patient’s residence to identify the source of infection and any additional infected individuals.
Health Minister Veena George is scheduled to visit Palakkad on Sunday for a review meeting with health officials.
On Saturday, the health department confirmed that the recent death of an 18-year-old girl in Kozhikode was due to Nipah infection. A high alert has been issued for the districts of Malappuram, Palakkad, and Kozhikode after the state reported two confirmed cases of Nipah virus.
Currently, a total of 425 people are listed as contacts of the infected patients.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry is considering deploying the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Kerala to assist the state government in implementing public health measures, according to sources in New Delhi.
The Central Surveillance Unit of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is in close contact with the state unit and is actively monitoring the situation. The State Control Room has been activated to coordinate various containment activities.
The public health response is guided by the Kerala State NiV (Nipah Virus Disease) guidelines for surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control.
"Although, prima facie, the two cases are epidemiologically unlinked, the timelines of symptom onset and the possibility of a common social event connecting them are being investigated," a source said.