Condition of Nipah patient stable: Kerala Health Minister

Kochi: The Kerala government on Wednesday  said the condition of the college student being treated at a private hospital for Nipah virus is stable while the condition of five others kept under watch was improving.

A total of 311 people from various districts are under observation, Health Minister K K Shailaja said.

“The condition of the student is stable. It has not turned worse,” she said, a day after the 23-year old student here was confirmed to be infected with Nipah virus.

A medical bulletin issued by the hospital Tuesday night had said he was admitted on May 30 and “the patient is clinically stable, slowly improving and his fever is subsiding.”

“The preliminary assessment of their health shows that they are not in a severe condition. Their health now is better than yesterday. But they are under constant watch of doctors. We expect tests of their blood samples would be negative. But we should wait till the final results come,” Shailaja, who is constantly monitoring the situation with medical experts and top health officials, said.

She said treatment for Nipah will start only if their blood test confirm they have contracted the infectious disease.

The results are expected by Thursday evening.

According to the World Health Organisation, the incubation period (interval from infection to the onset of symptoms) is believed to range from 4 to 14 days.

Shailaja, who has been camping here since Monday to lead the state’s fight against the potentially deadly virus, said 311 people from various districts were under observation of health officials and an analysis is being carried out to confirm on how many of them had directly contacted with the student infected with the virus.

According to state government figures, the Nipah virus had claimed 17 lives- 14 in Kozhikode and three in neighbouring Malappuram in May last year.