Nipah Surveillance At The Kerala Border Has Been Increased By Karnataka Government

The state government released a circular to increase monitoring and readiness in Karnataka, with a special emphasis on the border districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Kodagu, and Chamarajanagar, in light of verified cases of Nipah virus infection detected in Kerala.

Symptoms such as fever, changed mental status, extreme weakness, headache, respiratory distress, cough, vomiting, muscle pain, convulsions, and diarrhoea should be watched in Kerala arrivals. A thorough surveillance strategy is needed to assess concentrations of encephalitis cases and thus to detect Nipah outbreaks early.

According to the notice, appropriate samples would be submitted to NIV in Pune for lab confirmation.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said before leaving for his two-day trip to New Delhi, that experts had been asked to compile a detailed report on the Nipah virus's spread. He also clarified that there is vigilance on the Kerala state border to prevent the virus from spreading.

Since there is no recognised therapy or vaccination for Nipah encephalitis, the health and family welfare department released a circular stating that Ribavirin, an antiviral, may play a role in lowering death within Nipah encephalitis patients. The basic technique for trying to control the infection is intensive supportive care combined with symptom therapy. The Health Commissioner has been instructed to receive daily updates from the district authorities.

On Tuesday, the State Government released an alert, advising institutions and businesses to instruct their kids and workers to postpone travel from Kerala to Karnataka, and conversely, till October. In light of the current health crisis, the citizen has also been urged to postpone plans to visit the neighbouring state.