The Maharashtra government's public health department has said that people travelling from Kerala to Maharashtra will undergo medical check-up for the virus.
After an outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala, the central government conducted a review meeting with various states to understand the preparedness of the states.
The Maharashtra government's public health department has said that people travelling from Kerala to Maharashtra will undergo medical check-up for the virus. As per the state government, a meeting was held with the central government on Tuesday, June 4 via a video conference to address the health issue.
Dr Pradip Awte, state surveillance officer, said, "We will be enhancing the acute encephalitis syndrome surveillance. Any person who has symptoms like acute encephalitis and has a history of travelling to Kerala in the last three weeks, especially to Ernakulam will be monitored closely by the health department."
According to the officials, there is no cause for panic in our state. Dr Awte further added, "The central government has given direction to monitor people who travelled from Kerala within a month. While last year when an outbreak was reported in Kerala, few samples were sent for testing from Maharashtra but since a year, no samples for Nipah virus were given for testing to virology lab."
According to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV)'s data, from May to August 2018, clinical samples of around nine cases were tested from Maharashtra last year. It included cases four cases from Pune, two cases from Mumbai and one case each from Solapur, Jalgaon and Kolhapur. All tested samples were found to be negative.
The disease leads to inflammation or swelling of the brain, which in turn causes the death of brain cells. In India, it is a fourth outbreak of the Nipah virus. 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 fruits which are discarded by fruit bats after consumption.
How The Virus Spreads
- The outbreak can be seen at the places where particular species of bats - fruit bats are in higher number as well as the agriculture pattern. The virus is spread after the fruit bat throw consumed fruits which are later eaten by animals or human. The saliva of the fruit bat contains this virus.
- It is transmitted if an animal or human being consume fruits which are already bitten by the fruit bat.
- The person with this virus needs to be kept in an isolated space because it can be transmitted through contact with people who already have Nipah virus infection.
- It can cause brain fever, headache, nausea and mental instability. It can also lead to coma. Chances of fatality are 40 to 70 per cent. While there is no specific drug to treat the virus, they usually use ribavirin antiviral drugs to control it.
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