One more tests positive for Nipah in Kozhikode

Kerala: 4 people under treatment for Nipah virus; 6 infected incl. 2 deceased; Health Minister to attend all-party meeting; Central team to visit affected areas; more results expected.

One more person has tested positive for Nipah virus infection in Kozhikode district of Kerala, taking the total number of people under treatment now to four.

According to Health Minister Veena George, the newly infected person is a 39-year-old who was under medical observation in a hospital. He had visited some of the hospitals where the other infected people had gone in recent days, she said on Friday morning.

The samples were first tested at the virology lab functioning at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, and the results were confirmed by the mobile lab set up by the National Institute of Virology, Pune, near the hospital.

With this, the total number of infected people so far has gone up to six. This include E. Mohammadali, 47, of Maruthonkara who died on August 30 and M. Haris, 40, of Ayancheri, who died on September 11.

Mohammedali’s nine-year-old son son, his 24-year-old brother-in-law and a 24-year-old healthcare worker are the others who are already under treatment.

Meanwhile, Ms. George is expected to attend an all-party meeting in Kozhikode on Friday. This will be followed by other meetings with the heads of local bodies in the district. A Central team is likely to visit affected areas as well. More results of suspected patients are expected later in the day.