Kerala to test samples of all persons in Nipah contact list
The Kerala government on Thursday decided to take body-fluid samples of all of those who are on the ‘high-risk’ contact list linked to the first Nipah victim, a 47-year-old man who died on August 30 in the latest outbreak of the infection in the state.
State Health Minister Veena George said they had a high-level meeting on Thursday and after that the Principal Secretary had a meeting with officials of the Union Government.
“We have decided to take samples of all the persons who are in the high-risk contact list of the first person, who died on August 30,” said Veena George.
The Minister also said that the hospitals, where Nipah patients are being treated, should constitute a medical board for their treatment, and every 12 hours they should provide a medical report of the patients to the Health Department.
Veena George said that there are 14 persons in isolation who don’t have any epidemiological link with the persons who died of the Nipah virus.
“We have some patients in isolation in private hospitals. Eleven have got mild symptoms, so their samples are also being taken and sent to the lab,” said Veena George.