The Karnataka government on Monday announced that a suspected case of Nipah virus was reported in Mangaluru. A week ago, a 12-year-old boy died of Nipah in Kerala's Kozhikode district. The incident led to Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu ramping up surveillance measures to monitor for possible Nipah cases.
The patient's sample has been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The Hindu reported the patient was a lab technician at the Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru. He self-reported to authorities he may have contracted Nipah. “Sources said he had a travel history to Goa and had been in contact with a person who returned from Kerala," The Hindu reported.
Karnataka Health Commissioner K.V. Trilok Chandra, told The Hindu, "There is no need to panic as the person has not reported with any severe symptoms so far. However, we need to be alert." Chandra added, "Advanced surveillance measures are in place in all border districts. People coming from Kerala will be kept under surveillance. We have asked the district officials to monitor arrivals for symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation and convulsions, and anyone with these symptoms should seek immediate medical care.”
In Kerala, a total of 140 samples of the Nipah victim have returned negative.
also read
The state government had conducted a complete house-to-house survey within 3km radius from the house of the boy who succumbed to Nipah virus as part of is fever surveillance.
The government had earlier said that in the survey, around 15,000 houses were included from the containment zone, and details were sought from around 68,000 people.
(With inputs from onmanorama)
