Nipah scare: Karnataka govt issues advisory for districts bordering Kerala, details here

Amid the ongoing Nipah scare in Kerala, neighboring state Karnataka has increased vigil in the bordering districts to prevent the spread of the virus. The Karnataka government on Thursday issued a circular and has advised the general public to avoid unnecessary travel to affected areas of Kerala. 

In addition to this, the Siddaramaiah-led government has asked the authorities to intensify surveillance in the bordering districts to Kerala, including Kodagu, Dakshin Kannada, Chamrajanagara and Mysore. As a precautionary measure, the authorities have been instructed to keep a check at the points of entries to Karnataka.

The Karnataka government has also said that those who have a travel history to Kozhikode and also have fever or have come in direct contact with a Nipah infected person, will be considered as potentially vulnerable to the infection. 

Karnataka government guidelines in view of Nipah virus:

1. Avoiding unnecessary travel of the general public from Karnataka to the affected area of Kerala.

2. Setting up of check posts for fever surveillance at the point of entries from Karnataka to the Kerala State and to intensify the fever surveillance in the bordering districts to Kerala (Chamarajanagara, Mysore, Kodagu Dakshina Kannada) and at the points of entries to Karnataka.

3. Ensuring widespread dissemination of IEC materials to educate the general public regarding the Nipah virus disease, and avoid unnecessary panic.

4. Ensure adequate stock of all essential drugs and oxygen in the hospitals.

5. Ensure adequate stock of PPE, VTM and other accessories for sample collection and transportation from a suspected case.

6. All private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics to report the suspected case to the District Health and Family Welfare Officer of the concerned district immediately.

7. Collect the clinical sample from the suspected case if any and arrange for the immediate shipment to NIV, Pune through NIV, Bengaluru as per the guidelines.

Nipah in Kerala 

After two people reportedly died in Kerala’s Kozhikode after getting infected by Nipah virus, all public functions in the district have been cancelled for the next 10 days. In addition to this, the district authorities have instructed that the marriage functions, scheduled for the coming days, must now be registered with police for permission.

All educational institutions will remain closed on Thursday and Friday in Kozhikode in the wake of the Nipah virus outbreak.