The Karnataka government said on Sunday individuals coming from Kerala will be kept under surveillance as the double whammy of coronavirus and Nipah continues to keep the neighbouring state on its toes. Surveillance has also been intensified in districts bordering Kerala, a senior official said.
“We have already issued a detailed advisory on precautions to be taken (against Nipah virus). Advanced surveillance measures already in place in all border districts. People coming from Kerala will be under surveillance,” Karnataka health commissioner KV Trilok Chandra was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
On September 7, the Karnataka government had directed administrations of districts bordering Kerala to strengthen surveillance and preparedness after the first confirmed case of Nipah virus was reported in the state.
Officials were asked to monitor arrivals from Kerala for any symptoms like fever, altered mental status, severe weakness, headache, respiratory distress, cough, vomiting, muscle pain, convulsion and diarrhea -- all signs of a Nipah virus infection.
“Regarding Nipah virus, I have given directions to the health secretary and experts. I will get a report on its behaviour in Kerala and its impact on us by this evening, following which necessary action will be taken,” chief minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters in Bengaluru on September 10.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus like SARS-COV2 and can be transmitted from one person to another. Kerala has so far reported 68 cases of the virus. On Saturday, a team from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, collected samples from fruit-eating bats to find the source of the Nipah Virus in Kozhikode, Kerala, where a 12-year old boy succumbed to the virus earlier this week.
The neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu is also on alert and a special ward to treat Nipah virus patients has been set up at the state-run Rajaji hospital in Madurai.