Centre rushes six-member team to Kerala after college student tests positive of deadly Nipah virus

Source: moneycontrol.com

The Centre on Tuesday rushed a six-member team to Kerala after a college student was confirmed to be infected with the potentially deadly Nipah virus, which had claimed 17 lives in the state in May last year.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also spoke to state Health Minister K K Shailaja to discuss the current situation and assured all support from the Centre to the state.

The Health Ministry said the six-member team comprising an epidemiologist has been sent to the state to conduct contact tracing for early detection of suspects and review of isolation facilities.

A control room has also been set up and the Strategic Health Operations Centre (SHOC) of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been activated, phone number for which is 011-23978046, a health ministry statement stated.