Kerala Govt Declares Kozhikode and Malappuram Districts Nipah Virus Free

<p><strong>Kozhikode</strong> and <strong>Malappuram</strong> districts, where 17 people died of <strong>Nipah</strong> in May, was on Sunday <strong>declared free of the virus</strong> by the <strong>Kerala</strong> government.</p> <p>&ldquo;A decision to declare both districts as <strong>Nipah virus free </strong>was taken by the government as no fresh cases have been reported after June 1,&rdquo; <strong>health minister K.K. Shylaja</strong> said.</p> <p>She was speaking at a function and got up to felicitate members of the medical teams, support staff and volunteers who fought against the spread of the virus in the districts.</p> <p>The event commemorated <strong>Lini Puthuserry</strong>, the<strong> nurse of Perumbra taluk hospital</strong> who died after contracting the virus while treating patients, by presenting her husband, <strong>Sajeesh</strong> with awards.</p> <p>Doctors and para medical teams were also honoured at the function.</p> <p>The function was held as part of National Doctors Day, which was observed across the country today to recognise the contributions of physicians to individual lives and communities.</p> <p>The collectors of <strong>Kozhikode</strong> and <strong>Malapurram</strong> districts, <strong>U.V. Jose and Amit Kumar Meena</strong> and Manipal Virology Institute director <strong>G. Arunkumar</strong> were also honoured on the occasion.</p> <p><strong>Dr A.S. Anoop Kumar</strong> of city based Baby Memorial Hospital was presented with a special award for his efforts to identify and prevent the virus outbreak.</p> <p>The government had on June 11 lifted the travel advisory it had issued in the wake of the virus and had said it was safe to travel to any part of the state.</p> <p>It had lifted the high alert in the districts and said the virus has been brought under control and its spread checked.</p> <p><strong>Educational institutions</strong>, which were scheduled to open on June 1, were reopened on 11 June.</p>