Nipah in Kozhikode: Contact List Grows to 702, Patients’ Route Maps Released

District authorities in Kozhikode have disclosed that the contact list for Nipah patients in the area has expanded to at least 702 individuals. According to a press release from the District Information Office, “A total of 702 people are currently in the contact list from the three cases.”

Additionally, the authorities have released route maps detailing the movements of the first and second Nipah victims.

Route Map 1:

The first victim, a resident of Kallad in Maruthonkara near Vadakara, succumbed to Nipah on August 30, with 371 people listed in his contact tracing. His timeline of activities includes:

– August 22: Symptoms manifest
– August 23: Attends family gathering at Thiruvallor
– August 25: Visited Molloorkunnu Grameen Bank and Kallad Juma Masjid
– August 26: Consults clinical doctor
– August 28: Admitted to hospital
– August 30: Dies of Nipah virus

Route Map 2:

The second person, a native of Mangalad in Ayancheri panchayat near Vadakara, has 281 people in their contact list. Their activities include:

– September 5: Symptoms begin. Visits relative’s house
– September 7: Visits Rubiyan supermarket
– September 8: Visit FHC Ayanchery
– September 9: Visit Thattankode Masjid and Iqra hospital
– September 10: Visit FHC Villiyapally, DH Vadakara
– September 11: Visit Dr. Jyothikumar’s clinical residence
– September 11: Visit ASTER MIMS Kozhikode, Dies of Nipah virus

A child undergoing treatment has 50 people on their contact list, and seven samples, including four confirmed cases, have been sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

Teams from NIV are scheduled to arrive in Kerala to establish a mobile lab at Kozhikode Medical College for Nipah testing and bat surveys, aiming to expedite test results.

Control rooms have been set up at the Government Guest House in the district, and those on the contact list are encouraged to contact the call center if they exhibit symptoms. In affected areas, awareness initiatives led by local organizations are underway to address the situation.