Nipah virus in Kerala: Karnataka government tells districts to step up vigilance

Bengaluru: With confirmed cases of the Nipah virus (NiV) infection reported recently in Kerala, the Karnataka government on Tuesday directed districts bordering the neighbouring State to strengthen surveillance and preparedness.

It said that all those coming from Kerala should be monitored for symptoms like fever, altered mental status, severe weakness, headache, respiratory distress, cough, vomiting, muscle pain, convulsion and diarrhea. A 12-year-old boy died of the Nipah virus infection at Kozhikode in Kerala on September 5. The test results of eight people, including the child's parents and health care workers, who came in close contact with him, returned negative.

The Kerala government had put the health departments in four districts -- Kozhikode, neighbouring Kannur, Malappuram and Wayanad -- on high alert.

"In view of confirmed cases of Nipah virus (NiV) infection reported recently in the neighbouring State of Kerala, it is imperative to strengthen the surveillance and preparedness in the larger interest of public health in Karnataka also, with special focus in the districts bordering Kerala -- Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagara," the government advisory said.

Issued by the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Jawaid Akhtar, it gave certain instructions to be implemented by district administrations to ensure the wellbeing of the community, that includes monitoring those coming from Kerala for symptoms.

Also, necessary awareness should be spread among the public on Nipah, it said, adding that a systematic surveillance system is a necessary method to identify clusters of encephalitis cases, resulting in early detection of Nipah outbreaks.

The advisory said suitable samples have to be collected with all necessary precautions from suspected, probable and contacts and sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for laboratory confirmation.

As there is no known treatment or vaccine available , Ribavirin, an antiviral, may have a role in reducing mortality among patients with encephalitis caused by Nipah virus disease, it further said, adding that intensive supportive care with treatment of symptoms is the main approach for managing the infection in people.

The advisory instructed district authorities to send the daily reports, even if Nil, in a prescribed format, to the Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Services, Arogya Soudha, Bengaluru.