00:00 On Wednesday, the Kerala government said in the assembly that the Nipah virus, which has
00:07 killed two people out of four infected, was a strain of the Bangladesh variant.
00:12 Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the variant has a high mortality rate but
00:16 was less infectious.
00:18 George confirmed that the recent unnatural deaths in the state's Koricore district were
00:23 a result of the virus.
00:24 As per reports, one of the people affected with the virus died this month, while the
00:28 other death occurred on August 30.
00:31 This is the fourth Nipah outbreak in Kerala since 2018.
00:35 Out of 23 infected people, 21 died when Kerala first reported the Nipah outbreak in 2018.
00:41 In 2019 and 2021, Nipah claims two more lives.
00:45 There are no treatments or vaccines against the virus.
00:48 The virus is transmitted to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected
00:53 bats, pigs or other people.
00:55 It was first identified in 1999, during an outbreak of illness affecting pig farmers
01:00 and others in close contact with pigs in Malaysia and Singapore.
01:04 As per reports, teams from Pune's National Institute of Virology or NIV will arrive in
01:09 Kerala on Wednesday to set up a mobile lab at Koricore Medical College meant to test
01:14 for the Nipah virus and carry out a survey of bats.
01:17 Reports said that a group of epidemiologists from Chennai will also reach Kerala to carry
01:22 out a survey.
01:23 On Wednesday, Health Minister Veena George announced a series of measures being implemented
01:28 to address a health crisis including surveillance, contact tracing, categorising individuals
01:32 into low and high-risk groups, establishing isolation facilities, marking containment
01:37 zones and procuring medicines from the Indian Council of Medical Research or ICMR for those
01:42 who are infected.
01:43 The Koricore administration has declared seven village panchayats namely Atancheri, Maruthonkara,
01:49 Thiruvallur, Kuttiayadi, Kayapkodi, Veliyappalli and Kavilumpara as containment zones.
01:58 An alert has also been issued for Kannur, Wayanad and Malappuram districts of Kerala.
02:03 The Indian Council of Medical Research has also agreed to send monoclonal antibodies
02:08 required to treat the virus patients.
02:10 People in containment areas have been asked to wear masks, use sanitizers as well as practice
02:15 social distancing.
02:16 Stores selling essential and medical commodities are allowed to function inside the containment
02:21 zones from 7 am to 5 pm.
02:23 However, pharmacies and health centres can function without the time bar.
02:27 Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also urged people to take precautions.
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