Two isolation wards ready in state to handle Nipah virus cases, says official

Dr Pradeep Awate, Maharashtra epidemiologist and infectious diseases surveillance programme head, says state’s surveillance system in place to check disease outbreak

Pune In the wake of a Nipah case being confirmed in Ernakulam (Kerala), Maharashtra state director for public health services held a meeting on Wednesday.

Health officials at an isolation ward of Ernakulam Medical College in Kochi, Tuesday, June 4. Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja confirmed today that the 23-year-old college student, who was admitted to a hospital in Kochi, has been infected with the Nipah virus. (PTI Photo)(PTI6_4_2019_000118B) (PTI FILE)

Post the union ministry of health and family welfare’s instructions for all the states, Maharashtra has planned to strengthen and enhance its surveillance system related to infectious diseases, especially to pick up any disease that imitates the symptoms of acute encephalitis syndrome like Nipah virus.

Dr Pradeep Awate, state epidemiologist and infectious diseases surveillance programme head of Maharashtra, said, “Maharashtra does not have any reason to fear as we never reported Nipah in our state in the past and now too it will not, hopefully.”

“We have strengthened our reporting system and treatment. Two isolation wards, one at Pune’s Naidu Hospital and another at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai, have been kept ready,” Dr Awate said.

Four outbreaks of the infection have been reported in country till date, and in two states, first in West Bengal and second in Kerala. In West Bengal the outbreaks were reported in 2001 and 2006 respectively. Kerala reported it last year and one case has been confirmed this year, said Dr Awate.

Dr Awate said, “Maharashtra has never been on the verge of any danger when it comes to such outbreaks. We have alerted our departments and districts to be cautious if any person has a travel history of visiting Kerala and especially Ernakulam. If the person has a travel history to Kerala in the last three weeks and shows Nipah virus-like symptoms then it should be immediately monitored and even isolated. Till the results are confirmed human contact is such cases should be avoided as the virus is spread through human to human transmission and bodily secretions, hence it is advisable to isolate such cases.”

The official said that Maharashtra does not need to panic as such precautionary measures were taken even during international outbreaks of Ebola and Zika in the past.