Kozhikode (Kerala) | A team from the ICMR arrived here on Saturday following the confirmation of a Nipah virus case in the district, officials said.
Officials also said tests conducted on three close relatives of the patient returned negative results.
According to a government press release, the Indian Council of Medical Research team interacted with Revenue Minister A P Anil Kumar, who is in charge of the district.
The team visited the medical college hospital where the patient is admitted and reviewed the ongoing response measures.
The medical experts also held discussions with doctors and district administration officials regarding the Nipah case and the measures being taken to prevent further spread of the virus.
The team is expected to remain in the district for a few days, officials said.
Experts from the National Centre for Disease Control are also scheduled to visit the district, they added.
Anil Kumar, earlier in the day, chaired a review meeting on the Nipah situation and directed officials to ensure all necessary facilities for the patient and his contacts.
The meeting was held in the chamber of District Collector M S Madhavikutty.
According to the government release, the minister sought details about the patient and his contacts and instructed officials to ensure the availability of all required medical facilities, equipment and medicines.
He also directed that preventive measures adopted during previous Nipah outbreaks be continued.
The district collector informed the meeting that all measures were being implemented strictly in accordance with protocol.
She said three relatives on the patient's contact list, who had been admitted to the hospital for observation on June 12, tested negative during examinations conducted at the Government Medical College Hospital.
A statement issued by Health Minister K Muraleedharan said that four more people from the contact list were admitted to the hospital for observation on Saturday, while 13 additional persons were newly added to the contact list.
All 13 have been categorised as low-risk contacts.
With the latest additions, the contact list now comprises 100 people, including four in the very high-risk category, 14 in the high-risk category and 82 in the low-risk category, the statement said.
Health workers conducted surveys in 35 additional houses in Division 5 of Ramanattukara municipality, where the infection was reported. With this, visits to all 320 houses in the division have been completed, the statement said.
Muraleedharan said the patient is currently receiving ventilator support in the intensive care unit of the Government Medical College Hospital.
The minister said a medical board would assess the patient's condition after 48 hours and decide whether to administer a second dose of monoclonal antibody treatment.
Health workers from the control room contacted all 100 people on the contact list, including the 13 newly identified contacts.
Officials also attended to 30 public calls seeking clarification and information about Nipah through the control room on Saturday.
So far, the control room has received 80 such calls.
As part of the district mental health programme, officials contacted 76 people on the contact list and provided psychological support, the statement said.
A 43-year-old native of Ramanattukara tested positive for Nipah on June 10 and was subsequently shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital.
Nipah is a zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans and, in some cases, between humans.
Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the natural reservoir of the virus.
The infection can cause severe respiratory illness and encephalitis and is associated with a high fatality rate.
Kozhikode (Kerala) | Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday alleged that the state government was "lethargic" in handling the Nipah outbreak.
On June 10, a 43-year-old man from Ramanattukara was admitted to Kozhikode Medical College, where tests confirmed Nipah infection.
Responding to reporters here, the former chief minister said the Nipah outbreak was a matter that must be handled with utmost seriousness.
"The concern is whether the situation is being addressed with the seriousness that Nipah warrants. This is not about the efforts of doctors. The health department and the government must take the lead in fully mobilising the healthcare system and ensuring the necessary interventions," he said.
According to Vijayan, such an initiative was not visible at present. Previous health ministers in the state were not medical graduates.
Yet, during earlier Nipah outbreaks, the government machinery, including the health minister, was fully prepared and actively involved in containment efforts.
"Everyone knows the kind of interventions that were undertaken during previous outbreaks. What we are witnessing now is a highly lethargic response. The health minister has neither visited the area nor intervened directly," Vijayan said.
"The health minister's presence would help galvanise officials and ensure the necessary interventions are carried out. I do not wish to comment on other aspects at this stage, but this is not the right approach," he added.
Vijayan said everyone was aware of the seriousness of Nipah.
"The government must undertake stronger precautionary and awareness measures. That has not happened so far, and it should happen immediately," he added.
Referring to the transfer of Director of Health Services K J Reena, Vijayan said such a move should not have been made at a time when the state was dealing with a Nipah outbreak and rising Shigella cases.
Nipah is a zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans and, in some cases, between humans.
Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the natural reservoir of the virus.
The infection can cause severe respiratory illness and encephalitis (a medical condition marked by inflammation of the brain) and is associated with a high fatality rate.
The CPI(M) also criticised the state government's handling of the Nipah outbreak, alleging negligence in coordinating containment measures and addressing public concerns.
In a statement, the CPI(M) state secretariat said the government was continuing an indifferent approach despite the emergence of a serious public health challenge in the state.
The party alleged that neither ministers nor senior officials were present in Kozhikode to coordinate preventive measures or reassure the public and urged the government to act with greater urgency.
The CPI(M) said it would extend full support to the government in disease-control efforts and appealed to the public to follow the instructions of health authorities.
The party alleged a lack of coordination between the minister and the district administration in communicating information about the Nipah case and the patient's condition.
Referring to Kerala's earlier experience in tackling Nipah outbreaks, the CPI(M) said the state had earned global recognition through determined government intervention, strong public participation and the efforts of health workers.
The party said it did not intend to politicise the issue but was compelled to raise concerns because it believed public health could be endangered by what it described as government inaction.
The CPI(M) also pointed to the spread of other communicable diseases, including Shigella, dengue, leptospirosis and hepatitis, and alleged that the government lacked accurate data on infections and was failing to effectively address the wider public health situation during the monsoon season.
The party urged the government to adopt a more scientific and comprehensive approach to tackle the growing disease burden in the state.