Nipah virus: Couple’s quarantine violation, probe on

KOZHIKODE: A couple from Nadapuram, who had stayed in the house of a Maruthonkara resident who died of Nipah, for more than two days, was found to have violated quarantine norms. When the health officials visited the couple’s house in Ward 19 of Nadapuram panchayat for sample collection, they found that the woman and her husband had gone to a relative’s house violating quarantine rules. Following this, the health officials passed on the information to the Nadapuram police. The police said that they would launch an investigation into the incident and register a case. “The family had visited the house of the Nipah patient who died in Maruthonkara, Kalladu. They stayed there for two days. When they were added to the primary contact list of the deceased, the health department put the family under quarantine at their house in Nadapuram. On Friday evening, only the children were present when health officials arrived at the house for sample collection. The children told officials that the couple had gone to a relative’s house in Arur in Purameri panchayat,” said Abbas Kanekkal, ward member, Nadapuram panchayat. As the couple were absent, the health workers had to postpone sample collection. Seven persons are under quarantine in Nadapuram and the health officials had planned to collect their samples on Friday. The team comprising health inspector Surendran Kalleri, a junior public health nurse, and an ASHA worker of Nadapuram Taluk Hospital returned without collecting samples as the couple was not present at the house.