Five more samples test negative for Nipah virus in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Five more samples sent for lab tests have been tested negative for Nipah virus, Kerala Health Minister's office said in a statement on Sunday.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George's office in its statement said that the results of samples collected from five patients came in as 'negative' for the Nipah virus.

"New cases are not reported. A number of 915 people are under isolation at their residences," the statement added.

Also, Minister Veena George analysed the current situation in the core committee meeting this morning.

Earlier in a press briefing, Minister Veena George said that the state government has decided to strengthen the healthcare system.

"We have started to strengthen the 'One Health' activities in the district. We have started training people for the same. 'One health' means all the departments will come together. We have also taken the decision to establish an institution where all the departments will be well-coordinated. So, community surveillance will be there throughout the year", she said.

Six cases of the Nipah virus have been so far found in the state of which two persons died while four others, including a nine-year-old boy, are under treatment. The health minister said that ICMR and WHO had conducted studies and found that Kerala and eight other states in India have the probability of Nipah occurrence.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the state will conduct a seroprevalence study on the Nipah virus being repeatedly found in Kozhikode district.

According to WHO, population-based seroprevalence surveys are conducted to predict the proportion of infection and immunity in order to comprehend disease burden, a pattern of transmission, and associated risk factors.