Nipah virus: Bihar government issues public advisory

Amid rising concerns about the Nipah virus (NiV), the Bihar, Pudducherry and Sikkim governments on Saturday issued an advisory to all medical colleges, civil surgeons and district magistrates (DM) across the state.

The people have been warned against being in direct or indirect contact with bats and pigs. A warning has been issued against eating fruits fallen off from trees. Public has also been recommended against consuming bananas and dates.

Sikkim

The Sikkim health department has issued an advisory urging the people of the state to take precaution against Nipah virus.

"Though there is minimal possibility of Nipah virus in Sikkim, but the people need to take precaution," it said in an advisory yesterday in the wake of Nipah outbreak in Kerala.

The symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, vomiting and fainting. Some may show symptoms of epilepsy. Symptoms may last 10-12 days followed by unconsciousness and death as a result of brain fever, the advisory said.

It is advised to the people that they should not eat fruits and vegetables bitten by birds, bats and animals, wash their hands properly after contacting infected person and monitor fever cases with history of travel to the affected areas that is Kerala.

Pudducherry

The Collector Office, Pudducherry on Saturday issued an advisory, mentioning preventive steps to be taken in high-risk areas to check the spread of the contagious disease.

The Collector said that the advisory has been issued by the hospitals to their staff and a press release has been given to them.

The hotel staff has also been directed to inform the collector office if any guest comes from Kerala, especially from Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur districts check-in.

Nodal officers in all medical colleges and General Hospitals have been appointed and a Red Cross team has been placed at the Railway Station to check trains. The area inspector has been designated as the health inspector.

Masks have been made available and Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been checked. The Pharmacy Association has been briefed regarding masks and the correct drug usage.

A Whatsapp group has also been created where all medical colleges and General Hospitals have been directed to submit a daily report.

According to health experts, NiV infection is a newly emerging zoonotic disease that spreads from infected fruit bats to animals, animals to animals or bats to human beings. It reaches human beings through domestic animals which have either eaten things already sucked by bats or got bitten by them. Human to human transmission happens via physical contact.