Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, May 22: The deadly Nipah virus seems to have entered Dakshina Kannada district as two people suspected with symptoms of the disease have been admitted to hospitals in Mangaluru and are undergoing treatment, informed district health officer Dr Ramakrishna.
Addressing the media here on Tuesday May 22, Dr Ramakrishna said, "Both patients are undergoing treatment in private hospitals. The blood and saliva samples of both patients have been sent to Manipal Centre for Viral Research, Manipal.
"Though the patients are suspected of being exposed to Nipah virus, we are yet to get a confirmation. We expect the reports within two days. If the test result is positive, the samples will be further sent to NIV, Pune for confirmation, after which we will officially declare the presence of the disease.
"Of the two patients, one is from Kerala who had visited Kozhikode, and the other is a local. But the incidence of Nipah is not confirmed in the district yet," said Dr Ramakrishna Rao.
The patients are not critical but are being treated in seclusion. The treatment is on and is being administered as per the requirement for Nipah-afflicted patients. All preventive measures are in place to tackle the disease, he added.
"The virus is said to spread through bats and pigs. People need to be extra careful and people should not eat fruits which have fallen from trees in this season, as the chances of getting exposed to the disease is more when people consume fruits that have already been bitten by bats," he said.
"There is no reason to panic as the district health department is fully prepared to tackle the disease," he added.
Nipah Virus - Do's and Don'ts
Do's
- Isolate infected livestock, such as pigs, horse, dog and cat as they act as the intermediate host
- Suspected human cases to be isolated
- Clothes, utensils of suspected cases and items typically used in the toilet or bathroom to be cleaned separately and maintained hygienically
- Avoid hand shake and wash hands properly after contacting infected people
- Wear mask and gloves while tending to patients
- Wash, peel and/or cook all fruits thoroughly before eating
- Visit the nearest Health center if any flu-like illness
- Call 104 for assistance
Dont's
- Do not eat fruits that may have been bitten by birds and animals
- Do not drink toddy/neera collected from areas where bats are found in large numbers
- Precautionary measures to be taken when visiting infected areas
- Avoid contact with sick person's body secretions (saliva, sweat, urine, etc.)
- Relatives should try refrain from hugging or kissing the dead person