Kerala Shuts Schools As Nipah Virus Fears Mount

Authorities in Kerala scrambled to contain the spread of the Nipah virus on Thursday, drawing up a list of around 950 people who could have been exposed to the disease, setting up containment zones, and shutting down all educational institutes in Kozhikode district in a bid to isolate the deadly pathogen that attacks the brain and is often fatal

- Vishnu Varma

At least five people tested positive for the virus and two have died – the first on August 30 and the second on September 11. Eleven samples collected by the authorities on Wednesday came back negative for the virus on Thursday, offering some hope of containment. On Thursday, the administration collected another 15 samples from the list of people who were in contact with the five people and sent them for testing to NIV Pune. Of this, at least two people – both health care workers – were symptomatic, said the state’s health department.

State health minister Veena George said the government held a high-level meeting on Thursday morning and the principal secretary met officials of the Union government. Experts from three organisations – National Centre for Disease Control, RML Hospital, Delhi, and NIMHANS – arrived in the state to help in treatment and surveillance.

“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 George. The full contact list currently has 950 names, out of which 213 are in the high-risk category, said state health officials. A total of 287 people on the contact list are healthcare workers, they said.