KOZHIKODE: Health minister K K Shailaja here on Sunday declared Kozhikode and Malappuram districts are free from Nipah virus infection. A declaration in this regard was made at a function organised by the Kerala state health department at New Nalanda auditorium to felicitate health staff and others who have rendered selfless services in fighting the Nipah outbreak and to mark the observance of Doctor’s Day.
Minister said that the two districts were declared as temporarily Nipah- free as no Nipah positive case was reported after May 31 and after keeping tight vigil till the completion of double incubation period which ended on June 30. Health minister said that 50 dose of human monoclonal antibody m102.4 against Nipah virus brought from Australia was not used and the medicine will be handed over to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Kozhikode district collector U V Jose; Malappuram district collector Amit Meena; Head of Manipal Institute of Virus Research Dr G Arun Kumar, head of the department of Critical Care Medicine of Baby Memorial Hospital Dr A S Anoop Kumar; corporation health officer Dr R S Gopakumar; Infection disease specialist at Chennai Apollo Specialty hospital Dr Abdul Gafoor, Principal of Kozhikode Government Medical College Dr V R Rajendran and many others were honoured on the occasion.
The minister also presented certificates to various institutes including Manipal institute of Virus research; District Medical office Kozhikode, Malappuram district medical office; Kozhikode government medical college hospital; General medicine department of MCH; Emergency medicine of MCH; respiratory medicine department of MCH; Community medicine department of MCH; Community medicine department of Government Medical college Manjeri; house surgeons association; police; Kerala medical services corporation ltd; revenue department; Kozhikode corporation; BMH; MIMS; Arogya Keralam; district mass media Kozhikode; Animal Husbandry department; forest department; health and family welfare centre,; ANGELS ; compassionate Kozhikode; Primary health centres at Chekkiyad, Naripetta, Avala, Pannikkottur, Olavanna, Koorachubndu, Kodiyathur, Karassery, Murkhanadu, Tenjipalam , administrative staff of MCH and gold medal winners agencies and departments which played a role in the fight against the spread of the contagious disease.
