Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Friday said that all four Nipah virus patients have recovered and have tested negative.
Kerala had reported a total of six Nipah virus infections in Kozhikode district. Of the six cases, two people had died.
Following the outbreak, the containment zones were declared, contact-tracing exercises were carried out, tests were conducted, and educational institutions in the district were shut. No more cases have since been reported.
In a post on Facebook, George said that all four persons declared recovered have tested negative for the Nipah virus twice.
"Informing the good news that all four people including a nine-year-old boy who were under treatment for Nipah have recovered and became double negative (both tests conducted during the interval were negative)," said Geroge, as per an English translation of her post in Malayalam.
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The two persons who died from the virus had come in contact a hospital.
This was the fourth outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala in recent years.
Following the outbreak in Kerala, the Union government had dispatched a team of central experts to monitor the situation in the state and assist the state government. A mobile testing laboratory was also sent to Kerala. Later, antibody treatments were also sent for the treatment of hospitalised patients.
The Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that spreads through contact with an infected animal's bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, or urine. The virus can also spread into humans from consuming food or drinks contaminated by an infected animal. Once a person is infected, the virus can spread to others in close contact of the person. The disease has a mortality rate of around 40-75 per cent. While the virus primarily spreads to humans from bats, it may also be carried by pigs, goats, horses, dogs or cats.
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The Nipah virus symptoms include fever, breathing difficulties, cough and sore throat, diarrhoea, vomiting, and fatigue. Some other symptoms include confusion and disorientation, slurring of speech, and seizures.
"Symptoms typically begin within four to 14 days after exposure to the virus. It’s common to have a fever or headache first and develop respiratory problems like cough and difficulty breathing later. In severe cases, a person can develop brain infection (encephalitis), which is life-threatening," notes Cleveland Clinic.
There is no particular cure for Nipah virus and the treatment is based on one's symptoms.
