Kerala Health Minister on 5th June said the blood samples of five patients, who are under observation suspecting Nipah have been sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune.

Talking to media persons here, the Minister said the health condition of the college student, tested positive to Nipah, and five patients admitted at the isolation ward was satisfactory. The Australian medicine, Human Monoclonal antibody, to counter Nipah virus, was brought to Kochi, she added. The lab report of the five people from Pune will be available within two days, she said. Now the patients are being treated for fever and the use of the new medicine will be depend upon the heath condition of the patient.

The Minister said she will convene a meeting of top officials of health department to assess the precautions taken for the control of Nipah outbreak. Meanwhile, about 311 people are under medical observation in the State till this day. The health department initiated steps to trace the origin of the latest Nipah virus outbreak. Sources said sufficient medicines are in the stock and there is no need of panic and the health department was taking all precautions to control the spread of disease.

The staff of emergency care in Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital were given a special training on 4th June on various precautions to be taken while treating Nipah affected patients. Meanwhile, a case has been charged against two persons who used social media for spreading misinformation on the disease and creating panic among the public. As part of precautionary measures, isolation wards were open in Ernakulam, Kollam, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts. The persons under observation are from Thrissur, Ernakulam, Idukki and Kollam.