Kerala: 674 people on Nipah contact list, says health minister Veena George amid second case in Palakkad

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 17 (ANI): A total of 674 individuals are currently on the Nipah contact list across Kerala, the state's Health Minister Veena George said on Thursday.
Among them, 131 are from Malappuram, 426 from Palakkad, 115 from Kozhikode, and one each from Ernakulam and Thrissur, informed the health minister.
In Malappuram, 12 individuals are under isolation and receiving treatment, while 88 samples have tested negative so far. Based on the completion of their isolation period, 81 people from Malappuram, 2 from Palakkad, and 1 from Ernakulam have been removed from the contact list.
Seventeen individuals are currently in isolation in Palakkad. Statewide, 32 people fall under the highest-risk category and 111 are being monitored under the high-risk category.
Health Minister George has also directed the One Health Centre for Nipah Research to document all matters related to the outbreak. Notably, an ICMR team visited Malappuram to assess the situation.
The health minister's update comes as Kerala reported a second Nipah case in the Palakkad district. A 58-year-old man from Kumaramputhur near Mannarkkad tested positive for the virus following his demise at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna.
Following the development, an alert has been issued to hospitals in Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad, and Thrissur districts of the state.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that a contact list has been prepared in the case. The government is awaiting confirmation from the Pune Institute of Virology. The patient died on July 12, and his samples tested positive in a test conducted at Manjeri Medical College, the minister said.
Field-level activities have been intensified in the area. Fever surveillance is also continuing. Further monitoring will be carried out, including the mobile tower location. The minister also directed the team to be strengthened in case another case is found.
Ten people are currently under treatment in Malappuram, of whom two are in intensive care. The state has now categorised 36 individuals as being in the highest-risk group and 128 under high-risk monitoring.
An alert has also been issued to hospitals in 6 districts in the wake of the second Nipah case. A special alert has been issued to hospitals in Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad and Thrissur districts along with directions to report any case of fever or encephalitis with Nipah symptoms. (ANI)