(Image source from: hindustantimes.com)

Two people with suspected cases of Nipah virus got admitted in to the hospitals of Hyderabad.  One patient, who recently travelled to Kerala on a tour were isolated and is admitted to Fever hospital in Nallakunta.

Samples of both the patients were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Telangana Director of Medical Education Dr K Ramesh Reddy said that there was no need to panic and that the samples were taken just to be safe.

“One among the two suspected cases went to Kerala. I spoke to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) officials who are in Kerala who said that the place the man has been to is hundreds of kilometers away from localities where Nipah virus cases are reported. So chances for him to test positive are less. We are fully geared up to handle emergencies,” Dr Ramesh Reddy said.

He also said that protective suits have been ordered to ensure that none of the hospital’s staff members are affected.

The number of confirmed deaths due to Nipah infection in Kerala now stands at 11, (8 in Kozhikode, 3 in Malappuram), while reports suggest that more people were suspected to have been infected by Nipah virus.

Although the number of patients coming for treatment with symptoms of Nipah virus infection has gone down, Kozhikode Collector U.V. Jose has banned till May 31 all public meetings and even training courses, including tuitions, to avoid assembly of people.

The University of Calicut on Thursday announced postponement of all examinations listed for this week. A public service examination has also been deferred in view of the current situation in the district.

The Health Department said on Thursday that a total of 160 samples were sent for testing to Pune. Of the 22 results that came, 14 are positive.

Adding to the 14, a woman nursing student at Kozhikode is reported to have become the latest person to test positive for the infection.

The Kozhikode Medical College has 136 patients and nearby Malappuram district 24 patients under observation.

A large number of medical professionals and health experts deputed by the Centre, state government and the private sector are working in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. They are meeting those under observation, besides running awareness programmes, an official said.

For those unversed, Nipah virus, spread by fruit bats, causes communicable disease and is fatal for both animals and humans.

The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, drowsiness, respiratory illness, disorientation and mental confusion.

By Lokesh