With the Nipah virus outbreak claiming two lives and infecting at least four others in Kerala’s Kozhikode, District Collector A Geetha has said schools, colleges, and other educational institutions in the district will remain shut for another week. Arrangements are being made to provide online classes to students until September 24, the Collector said on Friday, September 15. The district administration had earlier announced a three-day holiday for all educational institutions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Geetha said the number of people on the contact list of infected persons has now risen to 1,080, with up to 297 of them categorised as high risk contacts. On Friday alone, 130 more persons were added to the list, she said. “Many wards that come under the district’s local self-government bodies have been declared containment zones. We are going through a time that requires much caution,” she wrote on Facebook.
“Considering the situation, we should ensure the safety of each and everyone of you by avoiding the conditions of disease transmission as much as possible. At the same time, there should not be a break in your education. That is why we held extensive discussions with people in the education sector and decided to implement online classes for the upcoming week,” the Collector said, adding that educational institutions including professional colleges have been directed to make arrangements for online classes.
The district administration has also implemented public restrictions in Kozhikode, including a bar on public meetings or events. “Postpone public events, ceremonies, and meetings until restrictions are lifted. All the meetings should be conducted online only. Events that are unavoidable should be conducted only after obtaining permission from the district administration. Avoid unnecessary travel until restrictions are lifted. Visits to parks, beaches and shopping malls should be avoided as much as possible,” the authorities said in a statement.
People have also been restricted from entering places where bats are present, and have been asked not to allow cattle to graze in such areas. If there are any symptoms among pigs in pig breeding centres or if there is an abnormal increase in the mortality rate, it should be reported immediately to the nearest veterinary hospitals, the district administration said. It also prohibited people from venturing into containment zones and anybody from touching the bodies of wild animals, including bats and pigs, under any circumstances.
Nipah is a zoonotic virus that is spread from animals such as fruit bats and infected pigs to humans. It can also be transmitted through contaminated fruits (half-eaten fruits by fruit bats), and even by direct contact with sick persons. Symptoms include fever, headache, fainting and nausea. Some experience choking, stomach pain, vomiting, fatigue and blurred vision. The patient can possibly go into a coma just two days after the symptoms begin. The chance of contracting encephalitis or inflammation of the brain is also high.