Nipah outbreak: Holiday declared for educational institutions till Saturday; Monoclonal antibody arrives

Following the outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kozhikode, the district administration has declared a holiday for educational institutions till Saturday (Sep 16). At the same time, monoclonal antibody has arrived in the state, informed Health Minister Veena George.

Kozhikode: In the wake of the Nipah virus spread in the Kozhikode district, a holiday has been declared for all educational institutions till Saturday (Sep 16). However, PSC and University exams will be conducted as per the schedule. The district collector had earlier declared a holiday on Thursday and Friday (September 14 & 15). The order applies to all educational institutions, including professional colleges, schools, Anganwadi and madrassa.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Veena George announced that the monoclonal antibody of Nipah virus has arrived in the state. She said that everyone who came in contact with the person who died on August 30 will undergo testing.  The minister also informed that a special medical board will be formed in the hospitals that have reported Nipah positive. 

She informed the media that a central expert council had discussed the drug's stability. Although it has not yet been clinically confirmed, this medicine is the only antiviral treatment for Nipah virus infection.

"Further steps or course of action would be decided by the expert committee," she said.

The Minister earlier in the day told the state Assembly that although there was no reason to worry about the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district, people should continue to exercise caution as they went about their everyday lives.

The brain-damaging virus has killed two people and infected three others in Kozhikode district. On Wednesday, a 24-year-old health worker became Kerala's fifth confirmed Nipah case since its recent outbreak. Of the three infected persons under treatment, the condition of a nine-year-old boy continues to remain critical.

A 24-hour control room was set up in the neighbouring district of Wayanad following the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode. In order to supervise prevention and surveillance efforts and properly handle emergency circumstances, the Wayanad district administration also established 15 core committees.

According to the administration, the virus strain that was discovered in the state was the Bangladesh variation, which spreads from person to person and has a high fatality rate despite being less contagious.