A 23-year-old college student in Kerala has tested positive for Nipah virus, state health minister K K Shylaja said citing a report from the Pune-based National Institute of Virology.
A blood sample of the man was sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune which confirmed the infection, she confirmed during a press conference.
“The government is fully equipped to deal with the situation. All decisions are being made based on our experience of the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode in May last year,” Shailaja had said.
86 people were put under medical observation after the college student exhibited symptoms of the virus infection. He is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Ernakulam.
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The provisions include a special isolation ward which has been set up at the Ernakulam Medical College to treat any case in the future.
“Hospitals have been asked to arrange a special ward for such cases and get special ambulances readied,” Safirulla said.
Sixteen people were victims of the virus and lost their lives due to the Nipah virus infection just last year.