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One more person tests positive for Nipah in Kerala, total cases now at 6
Restrictions have been tightened in Kozhikode district where all the cases have been reported. Schools and other educational institutions are shut
One more person has tested positive for the Nipah virus in Kerala, taking the total number of cases reported so far to six, the office of the state health minister said on Friday.
A 39-year-old who was under observation in a hospital is the latest to test positive for the zoonotic virus. He had sought treatment at the same hospital where other Nipah patients were admitted.
Two people have succumbed to the deadly virus after the latest outbreak, while four are under treatment. (Nipah Virus LIVE updates)
On Thursday, 11 samples of suspected cases and their contacts returned as ‘negative’ from the National Institute of Virology in Pune, bringing a slight relief to the Kerala health department. Subsequently, 15 other samples were collected and sent for testing.
Restrictions have been tightened in Kozhikode district where all the cases have been reported. Schools and other educational institutions are shut, while entry to parks and beaches has also been banned. Prayer gatherings at religious institutions and other public programmes are also prohibited.
Tapping and sale of toddy has been banned until further orders, while containment zones continue to be in place across 53 wards in nine panchayats of the district.
A team of central health officials who have arrived in Kerala will visit the Maruthonkara and Ayancheri panchayats on Friday where the two Nipah deaths have been reported from.
