Thiruvananthapuram: A six-year-old boy who was under treatment for West Nile Virus at the Kozhikode medical college passed away on Monday, even though authorities said there was no need to panic.
Kerala Health Minister KK Shylaja said, “Strong precautionary measures have been taken. If treated early, the West Nile Virus can be cured so if there is fever or other symptoms, one should seek medical help at the earliest.” She added that since the virus spreads through mosquitoes, authorities were trying to eliminate the source.
K Shakeena, Malappuram District Medical officer (DMO), said the six-year-old had fever in the last week of February and was shifted to the Kozhikode Medical College after treatment in a private hospital. “On March 8 it was confirmed that this was a case of West Nile Virus. No other cases have been reported so far.”
The DMO added, “Birds are the carriers of this virus but it spreads to humans through mosquitoes. Mosquitoes bite infected animals and then carry the infection to humans.”
The early symptoms of the disease include fever and severe headache. Shakeena said if anyone had similar symptoms, they should consult a doctor immediately and not self-medicate. The samples of birds and mosquitoes from the area have been sent for testing and reports are expected in two days.
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