“Ironic that prevalence of illnesses widespread in state like Kerala”: Congress’ Tharoor on Nipah outbreak

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 21 (ANI): Amid a Nipah Virus outbreak in Kerala, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday that it seems ironic that the prevalence of these illnesses is so widespread in a state where the health system is considered the best in India.

“It’s a tragic thing. A young boy has been taken seriously ill and we all pray for his recovery. Kerala has dealt with these viruses before. We seem to be an incubator of many viruses, sadly. Particularly in a state that is so advanced and where the health system is considered the best in India, it seems ironic that the prevalence of these illnesses is so widespread. On the other hand, we also have the confidence that if any state can deal with these things effectively, it is Kerala,” Tharoor said.

The 14-year-old boy who tested positive for the Nipah virus at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital succumbed to the disease on Sunday afternoon, Health Minister Veena George stated.

“A case of Nipah virus has been detected in Mallapuram district of Kerala. A 14-year-old boy from Mallapuram exhibited AES symptoms and was admitted to a healthcare facility in Perinthalmanna before being transferred to a higher health center in Kozhikode. However, the patient later succumbed to the disease. The samples were sent to NIV, Pune which has confirmed a Nipah virus infection,” Govt of India said in a press release.

The Centre has advised immediate public health measures to be taken by the state government, such as an active case search in the family of the confirmed case, the neighbourhood, and areas with similar topography. The centre has also advised active contact tracing (for any contacts) during the past 12 days, strict quarantine of the contacts in the case, isolation of any suspects, and collection and transportation of samples for lab testing.

A multi-member joint outbreak response team from the National ‘One Health Mission’ of Union Health Ministry will be deployed to support the State in investigating the case, identifying epidemiological linkages, and providing technical assistance.

It is important to note that outbreaks of Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) have been reported in Kerala in the past, with the most recent one occurring in 2023 in the Kozhikode district. Fruit bats are the usual reservoir of the virus, and humans can become infected by accidentally consuming bat-contaminated fruits, the press release stated.

Earlier, Veena George convened a high-level meeting on Saturday in the Malappuram district after reports of a suspected case of the ‘Nipah’ virus in the state.