Forty six people with symptoms of Nipah were found negative on Wednesday; said Kerala health minister Veena George in Kozhikode adding the north Kerala district was almost out of danger of a serious outbreak.
The minister said samples of all close contacts of the dead boy, including his parents and health workers, turned negative but the government will maintain a strict vigil for three more weeks. Since a majority of immediate contacts are negative for the infection she feels the worst is over.
“It is a great relief that all samples turned negative so far. But we will not lower our guard. All restrictions will be in force till the window period of the virus (3 weeks) is over,” she said.
She said going by the preliminary reports bats are suspected to be the main carrier but more studies needed to pinpoint the triggering agent. Many experts said the affected areas are also infested with wild boars and their samples will also be taken for testing.
Experts said strict protocol in place due to Covid-19, like masking, physical distancing and no overcrowding, helped the state to blunt the impact of the zoonotic disease again.
“Due to Covid-19 protocol this time Nipah transmission will be limited. Prevention technique of Covid-19 really helped in fighting Nipah also,” said immunologist and public health expert D Padmanabha Shenoy.
Many experts like him said the main source of the virus should be identified at any cost to check its further outbreak. This is the third time the state is witnessing the onset of the virus in four years. In 2018 it claimed 17 lives in Kozhikode, in 2019 a youth was infected in Ernakulam but was later cured and in 2021 it claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy in Kozhikode.
Zoonotic diseases on the rise
Amid the third onset of Nipah, recurring zoonotic diseases at regular intervals continues to worry people in Kerala. Several cases of Kyasnur forest disease, avian influenza, swine flu, anthrax and Nipah were reported from the state in recent years.
Besides taking lives, such outbreaks affect social and economic mobility of people and cripple their lives_ culling of poultry, ducks and other domestic animals are regular to check their transmission. Experts have asked the government to formulate a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle such diseases and establish high-end labs for early diagnosis. They said zoonotic diseases will stay here as human activities continue to disturb natural habitat and the state needs a single window approach to tackle such maladies.
“It is a fact zoonotic diseases appear at regular intervals in Kerala. Human and animal dependence, directly or indirectly, is more these days. We need a permanent single window mechanism for early detection of such diseases and early warning to the people. More research is also needed in the area,” said Dr Prejit Nambiar, a teacher at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, who specialised in zoonoses and food safety. He said a close interaction is necessary between medical experts, veterinary professionals, environmental scientists and wildlife professionals to tackle this.
Many wildlife experts feel that such diseases can be checked by putting in place an effective surveillance mechanism and scientific disease management plans. In Kerala there are enough wetland and water bodies, a favourite habitat of avian guests and they can easily transmit diseases to domestic birds. “Animals like civet cats have almost turned urban as their natural habitat shrunk. Once found in forests only, peacocks are found in countryside in large numbers. Loss of habitats force monkeys, civets, bats and boars to human habitat so it is natural such diseases arise,” said wildlife expert Dr P S Esa.
