Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that a contact list has been prepared in the case of the death of a 57-year-old man, who tested positive for Nipah in Palakkad. The man dided at the hospital during treatment in Malappuram on Saturday night, July 12. The government is waiting for confirmation from the Pune Institute of Virology. This is the second case of Nipah in Palakkad, Health Minister Veena George has said.
The infection was detected after the test was conducted at Manjeri Medical College. Following the confirmation, health authorities drew up a detailed contact list and began tracing those named in the list. People who came in contact were immediately identified. There are 46 people in the contact list. Other information, including CCTV, has been collected. A route map has been prepared based on the available information.
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A family tree has also been prepared, and intensive field-level activities are underway. The health department said in a press release that fever surveillance in the region has been strengthened, and authorities will use mobile tower location data for enhanced monitoring. Further measures will be implemented once confirmation from the Pune Virology Institute is received.
The total number of people included in the Nipah contact list has risen to 543. Of these, 46 are linked to the newly reported case. District-wise, there are 208 contacts in Malappuram, 219 in Palakkad, 114 in Kozhikode, and two in Ernakulam.