Via The Indian Express: Kozhikode: 11 die of suspected Nipah virus infection, medical officials say no need to panic. No need to trust that number, either; these are suspected cases. Excerpt and then a comment:
Barely 12 hours after the deaths of three members of a family near Perambra in Kozhikode district of Kerala were confirmed as a result of Nipah virus infection, eight more people died after showing similar symptoms in Kozhikode and Malappuram, sparking panic among locals in the region.
“We got the report from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, on Sunday night, confirming Nipah virus infection in the blood samples of the three persons who had died initially. Now, four more persons who were allegedly in contact with the deceased have died at the Medical College,” Kozhikode district medical officer Jayasree V confirmed.
One of the persons who died late Sunday was identified as a nurse named Lini who worked at the taluk hospital, reportedly in close contact with those who were infected. To prevent further spread of the infection, her body was cremated immediately without handing it over to her family.
“Through secretions, the virus could spread from one person to another. It is a serious situation but there’s no need to panic. All those persons who were reportedly in contact with the infected are being closely monitored. We have asked the medical personnel to use all safety gear such as gloves and masks while dealing with potentially infected persons. The collector has already ordered the area around the home of the family with the initial deaths to be cordoned off,” Jayshree said, stressing that all practices to control the spread of the infection have been put in place.
Neighbours reportedly told medical officials that they saw the three members of the family – brothers Swalih and Sabith and their paternal aunt Mariyam – consuming what looked like fruits picked up from a compound in which they are building a home.
While seven deaths have been reported from Kozhikode, four people who showed similar symptoms of viral encephalitis have died in Malappuram, the district’s medical officer Sakeena KJ told indianexpress.com.
“We cannot confirm at this point that the deaths of four persons here are due to Nipah virus. But they showed similar symptoms of viral fever and encephalitis, so it could be suspected. We are taking all precautions,” she said. The deaths have been reported from Thennala, Mungiyur and Chettiparambu panchayats.
The Indian media love to sensationalize outbreaks like these, but I seem to be stuck with them: when I go to India's Ministry of Health and Family website, I get scared off by warnings that the site is insecure.
