Kerala has been put under high alert after a 12 year-old boy died due to Nipah virus infection in Kozhikode on Sunday morning. The child’s funeral took place in the evening according to the protocol.
Two health workers who came in contact with the deceased were found to have symptoms of the infection. They will be shifted to a separate ward. The State government has initiated the contact tracing measures. Health Minister Veena George informed that 188 people are in the contact list and 20 of them are in the high-risk category. Direction for extreme vigilance is being issued for the coming week in Kozhikode. A 24-hour special control room has also been set up in the district. The Health Minister further said that a detailed action plan has been prepared to accelerate the Nipah virus prevention measures. Steps have been taken to trace the source of the disease.
Meanwhile, a central team visited the residence of the child who died from Nipah virus in Chathamangalam. Since the child was found to have eaten rambutan fruit, the samples of the fruit were collected from his home. The team will also check about the presence of bats in the area.
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