Nipah outbreak: No need to be apprehensive, says Kerala govt

The Kerala government on Thursday said there was no need to be apprehensive about the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district, but caution needs to be exercised by people as they go about their daily activities.

State Health Minister Veena George detailed various steps taken by the government since the night of September 11, when two deaths in the north Kerala district were suspected to be due to Nipah, to counter the spread of the virus and treat those infected.

"There is no need for any apprehension. We can all together deal with the issue with caution", she said in a statement in the Assembly.

The brain-damaging virus has killed two people and infected three others in Kozhikode district.

On Wednesday, a 24-year old health worker became Kerala's fifth confirmed Nipah case since its recent outbreak.

Of the three infected persons under treatment, the condition of a nine-year-old boy continues to remain critical, and the government has ordered monoclonal antibodies from ICMR.

It is the only available anti-viral treatment for Nipah virus infection, though it has not been clinically proven yet.