Nipah virus: ‘No alarming situation in Coimbatore district’

The district administration on Wednesday clarified that there was no alarming situation in Coimbatore in the wake of two positive cases of Nipah virus reported in Palakkad and Malappuram districts in Kerala.

District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar told The Hindu that the district has not come across any cases of the zoonotic disease so far. However, various teams are on alert to respond swiftly in case of an emergency. The Deputy Director of Health Services was constantly monitoring the situation in the district.

Mr. Giriyappanavar added that there was no need for screening and monitoring at the inter-State check-posts in the district at present.

Out of the two confirmed cases reported in Kerala, an 18-year-old girl from Malappuram district died of acute encephalitis syndrome in a hospital in Kozhikode and her samples tested positive for the disease later. The second patient, a 38-year-old woman from Thachanattukara in Palakkad, is undergoing treatment in a hospital at Perinthalmanna. Meanwhile, a woman in the contact list of the Malappuram girl died on Wednesday.

While containment zones have been declared in 20 wards in Malappuram and six wards in Palakkad, more than 400 persons in the contact list of the two patients are under surveillance in Palakkad, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts, Health Department sources said.

Deputy Director of Health Services P. Balusamy said doctors in government and private hospitals in Coimbatore district have been sensitised about Nipah virus.

Guidelines on handling suspected Nipah cases and treatment protocols have been communicated to all the primary health centres, government hospitals, tertiary level hospitals and private hospitals in the district. “All the hospitals have been instructed to be alert if they come across any patient with suspected symptoms. Rapid response teams are ready to respond if required,” he said.

Nipah virus infection triggers symptoms similar to that of influenza, such as fever, muscle pain and respiratory problems. Headache, throat pain and disorientation due to inflammation of the brain are among other symptoms.