The State Health Department has put on alert its district officials and increased surveillance following reported Nipah viral infection in neighbouring Kerala.
Nipah is a zoonotic disease spread by fruit bats and is named after a Malaysian village Sungai Nipahl where the encephalitis, caused by viral infection, was first reported among pig farmers. Subsequently, it also began to be transmitted from humans to humans.
“Fruit bats are a natural host of the virus, but since they don’t tend to fly a long distance, it is a localised outbreak,” said Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, adding, “It is an emerging communicable disease and the literature has been shared by the Department. The threat to the State through the Nipah virus is low and there is no cause for alarm. The district health officials have been advised to stay alert.”
According to the World Health Organisation, of the nine fruit bat species in the world found to harbour the virus, five are found in India. But the country has so far reported outbreaks only in a couple of localities – Siliguri and Nadia in West Bengal – on two separate occasions.
The report of the infection had come as a surprise as so far there had been no global alert, said Director of Public Health K. Kolandaisamy. The Health Department is also awaiting information about the origin of the infection. “There has been no known active transmission alert. We have not heard of any current outbreak so far across the areas where the virus is known to have caused outbreaks earlier,” he said.
The State government has not issued any travel advisory so far but has advised rigorous hygiene.
“As fruit bats are a source of infection, it is better to wash the fruits before eating. Don’t eat bat-eaten fruits. People should maintain the routine of hand-washing and not eat raw fruits or vegetables without washing thoroughly. There is no problem with boiled, cooked food,” Dr. Kolandaisamy added.
Since the disease could spread through handling pigs, animal husbandry and forest department officials too had been involved, the official said.
On Tuesday, a video conference has been organised by the Chief Secretary Girija Vaidhyanathan. The Joint Directors of Health and Animal Husbandry Departments and forest officials will attend the conference.
