Thiruvananthapuram - Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan conducted a press briefing on Tuesday to offer an update on the Nipah outbreak within Kozhikode district. He indicated that although the current situation is being managed, the threat posed by this infectious disease has not been completely eradicated, and the potential for a second wave remains a possibility. Vijayan stated, "A Nipah review meeting took place today, and health experts believe the likelihood of a second wave is exceedingly low but cannot be entirely dismissed."

Vijayan expressed relief that the disease had not widely spread across the state, attributing the effective containment to the robust healthcare system and early virus detection. Despite the controlled spread, Vijayan noted that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had been unable to ascertain why Nipah cases continued to emerge in the northern region of Kozhikode. Although 36 bat samples were tested, no virus was detected, and additional samples will be collected in the upcoming days.

To gain better insights into the recurring outbreaks, the government has initiated a zero surveillance study. Vijayan emphasized that data from the ICMR's bat study would be shared with the state, and research involving the collection of samples without capturing bats would be undertaken with the assistance of the Institute of Advanced Virology.

Testing for Nipah will persist at the microbiology lab at Kozhikode Medical College and the Institute of Advanced Virology Lab at Thonnakkal. Currently, there are 994 individuals under surveillance, with samples gathered from 304 people. Six individuals have tested positive, and nine remain under observation at Kozhikode Medical College.

In response to the Nipah outbreak, the Health Department has established a psycho-social support team as part of its prevention initiatives. It's noteworthy that Nipah cases were previously reported in the Kozhikode district in 2018 and 2021, making the current outbreak the third occurrence in recent years.