Rajasthan government issues guidelines on Nipah virus

JAIPUR: The state government has appealed to people that if they are visiting Nipah-affected districts in Kerala, they should remain careful. A high-level meeting headed by chief secretary DB Gupta was held on Nipah virus on Saturday.

Gupta said that no case of Nipah virus infection has been reported in the state so far. He directed the health department officials to remain vigilant about the disease and to spread awareness on it. He directed the health department officials to make medicines available in the hospitals for its treatment. He said that if people are visiting the affected areas in Kerala including Malappuram and Kozhikode, they should remain careful.

Additional chief secretary (health) Veenu Gupta said that guidelines have been issued to all chief medical health officers and joint directors across the state on Nipah virus. She said that there is no need to panic or get worried as necessary measures have already been taken for treatment of patients.

Taking a note of several deaths that occurred in Kerala due to Nipah virus, the health department has issued guidelines regarding human Nipah virus. It stated that clinicians should consider the possibility of Nipah virus (NiV) infection in persons who have fever and altered seizures and respiratory illness requiring hospitalisation and an appropriate travel to the affected area or exposure history in last 21 days.

“We have issued guidelines on Nipah virus for all chief medical health officers and joint directors in the state,” said Dr Ravi Mathur, additional director (rural health). “All districts are instructed to enhance their surveillance for acute encephalitis through Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and to carefully review any unusual pattern,” says the guidelines issued on May 23.

“These cases should be urgently investigated to rule out the prevalent causes of acute encephalitis before testing for Nipah virus disease,” says the guidelines issued by Dr VK Mathur, director (public health), health department. However, health department officials claimed that there is nothing to worry about as no such cases of Nipah virus has been reported in the state yet.


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