Maharashtra issues precautionary advisory on Nipah virus

After the outbreak of Nipah in Kerala, the state's health minister, Dr Deepak Sawant had issued a precautionary advisory to the public hospitals at the city and district level in Maharashtra.

According to the minister, necessary instructions had been given to health authorities from the municipal corporations and the district health officers. Stressing that there was no cause for panic, Dr Sawant said the BMC had been asked to keep suspected Nipah patients at its isolation ward in Kasturba Hospital.

He also asked the citizens of the state not to worry about the outbreak. He added, "People don't need to panic. No case of Nipah virus encephalitis has been diagnosed in our state, and the chances are low. However, people who migrated from Kerala in less than a month's time or have recentry made a trip to Kerala and is down with fever need to get a medical checkup for the virus." The intimation period is at least 15 days. The disease leads to inflammation or swelling of the brain, which in turn causes death of brain cells.

Symptoms of Nipah virus infection include high fever, headache, drowsiness to name a few. The outbreak can be seen at the places where fruit bats are in higher number. They are natural hosts of the virus which is released via their saliva, urine, and excreta. The virus spreads after animals or human consume friuts which are discared by fruit bats after consumption.