Thiruvananthapuram: Another person succumbed to the Nipah virus in Kerala on Thursday, even as the district administration in Kozhikode decided to clamp down on all public meetings until May 31 in a precautionary measure against the spread of the virus.
The death of V. Moosa, 61 who had been on life support for the past few days, has dealt another blow to his family, which had already seen the Nipah virus claim three members. Moosa’s sons Mohammad Salih, 28 and Mohammad Sabith, 26 were the earliest victims of the disease, and their relative Mariumma had also died after contracting the disease.
The disease has spared Moosa’s wife Mariyam, and another son, Muthaleef.
A nurse at the Perambra Taluk Hospital, Lini Sajeesh also lost her life after attending to the Moosa family members when they underwent treatment at Perambra.
So far, the state has recorded a dozen deaths including Moosa’s demise on Thursday since the outbreak of the Nipah virus, though authorities have confirmed only 11 of them were caused by Nipah. Roughly 160 samples have been sent for laboratory tests, and so far 13 have proved positive.
Kozhikode district collector, U.V. Jose has directed a clampdown on all public meetings until May 31. The order covers any gathering of people, including tuition classes and training camps and programmes.
The state government has taken a slew of measures to contain the spread of the disease and emergency backup services have been arranged at the district level, too.
Meanwhile, the authorities are still trying to understand how and from where the Nipah virus surfaced in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.
Fruit bats are still considered to have spread the disease, and the theory gained ground because the private well in Moosa’s house compound was infested with bats. It is also suspected that Moosa’s family members may have been contaminated while cleaning the well.
It was in late April that Moosa’s family members set out to clean the well in the compound of the house they had recently purchased.
Following the outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, normal life has been seriously affected in the area, and trade and commerce have been crippled. Tourism operators in the state fear that the Nipah virus-related fears and travel advisories may adversely impact Kerala’s tourism prospects this year, even though May-June is not peak season in the state.
