NIV teams to arrive in Kerala following Nipah confirmation; virus is Bangladesh variant: Health Minister

Teams from NIV, Pune arrive in Kerala to set up mobile lab to test for Nipah. State Health Minister Veena George confirms Bangladesh variant of virus with high mortality rate. ICMR to fly down monoclonal antibodies for treatment. Surveillance, contact tracing, isolation facilities, containment zones set up. Need for new treatment protocols highlighted. Two labs in Kerala to test, but no permission to declare Nipah. CM urges people to take precaution.

Teams from National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune would arrive in Kerala during the day to set up a mobile lab at Kozhikode Medical College to test for Nipah and carry out survey of bats, the state government said in the assembly on Wednesday.

The move comes in the wake of Nipah infection being confirmed in four persons in Kozhikode district of the state.

Responding to a query regarding the Nipah infection in the assembly, State Health Minister Veena George said that the virus strain seen in Kerala was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious.

Also read: Nipah breaks out again in Kerala, claims two lives

Ms. George further said that besides the teams from NIV, Pune, a group of epidemiologists would reach Kerala today from Chennai to carry out a survey.

Additionally, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has agreed to fly down the monoclonal antibodies that are required to treat Nipah patients, she told the House.

The Minister was responding to a query by CPI MLA P. Balachandran during the Question-Answer hour regarding the measures taken to deal with the Nipah virus which has killed two and infected two others in Kozhikode.