Nipah surveillance on Kerala border will continue till October 10

Nipah surveillance on Kerala border will continue till October 10

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 21, 2023:  Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Wednesday that the Nipah surveillance at Kerala borders of the state will continue till October 10.

Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru after holding a meeting with health officials of Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts which share border with Kerala, the minister said the state is taking all precautionary measures, though no suspected Nipah cases have been reported in the state so far.

The minister revealed that both government and private hospitals in the border areas are operating under heightened alertness. In these four districts, more than 20 checkposts have been established, screening over 10,000 individuals for fever. Additionally, villages within a 150km radius of the Nipah outbreak center in Kerala have been placed on high alert. Given the substantial movement between Mangaluru and Kerala, authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

Minister Gundurao explained, "We remain on high alert due to the Nipah virus’s fatality rate, which ranges from 40% to 70%, and its symptomatic treatment. Surveillance efforts will persist until October 10, coinciding with the conclusion of the incubation period for the most recent Nipah case reported on September 15."

Furthermore, the minister stressed the importance of authorities taking necessary steps to ensure adequate facilities for quarantine, isolation wards, masks, kits, and essential supplies for managing potential Nipah cases.