Nipah virus re-surfaces in Kerala, Tamil Nadu steps up surveillance in 9 bordering dists

Talking to reporters after distributing welfare assistance at his Saidapet Assembly constituency in the city, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Subramanian said, “as soon as we received information about the death of a boy affected by Nipah virus today morning, we informed all the health officials, including deputy directors and joint directors of health of nine districts bordering Kerala to step up surveillance."

“In addition to this, we have shared information about Nipah virus and have asked officials to hold fever camps and take up testing in the border areas for those coming by road -- whether in two-wheelers or four-wheelers,” he said.

Earlier, when Zika virus cases surfaced in Kerala, fever camps were held in borders areas to screen people coming from Kerala, he said, adding already COVID-19 prevention measures were in place in the border districts.

On identification of a new COVID-19 variant in South Africa, Subramanian, who travelled by suburban EMU train from Chennai Beach to Guindy to check  whether public were following the COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, said thermal scanning facilities were installed at the Anna international airport here.

Apart from this, an RT-PCR testing facility which will provide results in 13 minutes was also put in place.

“We are vigilant and there is no need to worry,” he said. 

Meanwhile, allaying fears of Nipah virus in Tamil Nadu, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan in a message to Collectors and health teams, said that border districts, as part of fever surveillance, should cover all the communicable diseases especially Zika and now, Nipah virus infection.

He said officials were also told to alert the local bodies in border areas about these diseases.

The Collectors and district healthcare officials in the nine Kerala bordering districts have been instructed to keep track of people travelling from Kerala to Tamil Nadu, to ensure that the spread of any type of fever and other infections is prevented.

While the health teams have made a double vaccination certificate or RT-PCR negative report mandatory, if travelling to Tamil Nadu, the screening for the symptoms of all types of fever will also be compulsorily done.