Some schools shut and curbs imposed on public gathering in Kerala after two people died of Nipah, a virus from bats or pigs that causes deadly fever.

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The virus has no vaccine and a fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 percent, according to the World Health Organization.

Symptoms include intense fever, vomiting and a respiratory infection, but severe cases can involve seizures and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, and result in a coma.

The Nipah virus strain seen in the state was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate, though it is less infectious, the government said. “People living in forest areas have to take the highest precautions,” George had said, adding that the latest case of the Nipah virus originated within five kilometres of a jungle area.

In the wake of the rising Nipah virus cases, neighbouring Tamil Nadu state announced that travellers coming from Kerala would be subjected to medical tests and those with flu symptoms would be isolated.

700 people including 153 health workers who came in contact with those infected are under observation, health officials said.

A group of talented medical professionals from a private hospital in Puducherry saved a 20-year-old man’s life by successfully removing 13 hairpins, 5 safety pins, and 5 razor blades from his stomach via an endoscopic technique.

The young man was hospitalised with disturbing symptoms, including intense abdominal pain, blood vomiting, and strange bowel motions, according to the experts at the Gastroenterology and Medical Centre (GEM) Hospital. After further inspection, it was discovered that he had 13 hairpins, 5 safety pins, and 5 razor blades in his stomach.

“He has been dealing with psychiatric issues since childhood. Initially, he denied swallowing any foreign objects. However, during the endoscopic procedure, we discovered a hardened mass in his stomach. This collection of objects is referred to as a ‘foreign body bezoar,’ which could potentially lead to intestinal blockages and perforations,” explained Dr. K Sasikumar, a surgical gastroenterologist who led the medical team, as pee local media reports.

Facing this intricate situation, the team decided to opt for an endoscopic procedure instead of open surgery. Dr. K Sugumaran, another member of the team, stated, “The patient’s parents were also inclined towards avoiding open surgery. We proposed inserting a tube through the mouth to reach the stomach and safely remove these sharp objects. It was a challenging procedure given the nature of the objects.”

The patient was admitted to the hospital on August 7, and the procedure, lasting approximately two hours, took place on August 8. Fortunately, the patient responded positively to the treatment, and he was discharged the following day, on August 9. He even resumed a regular oral diet on the very same evening, as confirmed by Dr. K Sasikumar.

The dedicated medical team responsible for this extraordinary accomplishment included medical gastroenterologist Dr. G Rajesh and anesthesiologist Dr. Ranjith. Dr. C Palanivelu, Chairman of GEM Hospitals, praised the team for their outstanding efforts in saving the young man’s life.

Doctors suspect that the patient consumed these sharp objects after mixing them with food. The condition of the patient is stable and he has been discharged from hospital.

The locals have blamed poor water quality for the jaundice outbreak in the Riyar area of Khansahib block in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

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The locals told that the Jal Shakti Department has failed to provide safe drinking water in the village, which has led to the outbreak of jaundice and claimed the life of a minor.

“The water is polluted and infected as the water tank hasn’t been cleaned for decades,” they alleged.

The people have requested the authorities to take serious note of the “life-threatening” issue.

A health official told that so far, 38 jaundice cases have been reported in the area and among them one person has died while the condition of others is stable.

He said that a 10-year-old boy identified as Abid, son of Abdul Salam from Riyar village of Khansahib, who was tested positive for jaundice following a jaundice outbreak, triggered by the supply of contaminated water.

Dr Mir Mushtaq, spokesperson of the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) told that “untiring” efforts are being made at Raiyar to curb jaundice through surveillance and rapid response teams of block Khansahib.

Simultaneously, the paediatric patients have been seen by the Pediatrician at SDH, Khansahib and blood tests have been conducted for detecting the disease, he said, adding that the screening process is on and thousands of people have been screened so far in the area.

“The situation is under control,” the DHSK spokesperson said.

Already, around 2,000 people have been screened among which 38 have been reported positive, he said, adding that no positive case was reported in the last three days.

“The ASHA workers of the concerned areas along with health workers have been distributing chlorine tablets and ORS packets among the inhabitants at door steps while field staff are continuously educating the people to take safe drinking water and also demonstrating the steps of hand washing to the people of this area,” Mushtaq said. KNO