Palakkad, July 16 (IANS) A 32-year-old man on Wednesday tested positive for Nipah and is currently under treatment at the Palakkad Medical College hospital. Notably, his father recently passed away and was Nipah positive.

The test results came out on Wednesday.

The test was done at a centre in Malappuram district.

Generally, all samples are first tested and then sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and the authorities are now waiting for that result too.

This is the third case being registered in Palakkad. A woman from there is being treated at the Kozhikode Medical College hospital.

Currently, there are 374 people in the district who are under constant medical observation.

The authorities have now identified three village councils in the districts and four wards in Mannarakad area which have been converted into high risk areas and some areas have been converted into containment zones.

The local health and police officials are on high alert and are leaving nothing to chance as multiple teams of health workers are conducting door-to-door visits to monitor symptoms and educate residents on preventive measures.

The use of face masks has been made mandatory for patients, caregivers, and healthcare personnel.

As a precautionary measure, at present Malappuram, Kozhikode, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kannur, and Wayanad districts are on alert.

Earlier on Wednesday, a tense moment was witnessed when a local resident lost his cool after he was stopped by two police officials who were on duty in a containment area.

Angered by the way the police personnel behaved with him, a brawl broke out between them and, after intervention by others, peace finally prevailed.

Health authorities continue to stress the need for vigilance, early detection, and adherence to safety protocols to prevent further transmission of the zoonotic virus, believed to be spread by fruit bats.

–IANS

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