The National Centre for Disease Control has expressed its appreciation at the efficient manner in which Kerala’s Health department managed to contain the outbreak of Nipah virus and limit its impact on public health, a statement issued by the office of the Health Minister said.
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The director of NCDC wrote to the government, appreciating the success achieved by the State in limiting the impact of the deadly virus.
It was the coordinated, inter-department efforts that helped control the outbreak . At the State and district-levels, Health officials, along with the district administration, Police, Forest, Animal Husbandry departments and Kozhikode Corporation worked in unison to chart out the outbreak management and response plan.
An alert health system had sounded the alarm when an unusual fever death was reported from a private hospital at Kozhikode on September 11. Outbreak control measures were launched immediately to check further human-to-human spread. The Nipah action plan was launched by forming 19 core committees, a control room and a call centre
The State could identify the infected persons and launch efficient control measures in a short time. Nipah testing facilities were also readied in the State . The fact that the authorities could confirm that it was the Nipah virus was the key to containing its spread. The Health department considered it a major success that efficient ICU management could bring back a Nipah-infected nine-year-old boy to life.
Though the double isolation period of those who were put on the observation list ended on October 5, The department will continue to be on alert till October 26.
