Health Ministry writes to Kerala and UP about Nipah virus outbreak and mysterious fever

On the mysterious fever deaths in UP, the ministry asked the state administration to screen all fever patients for dengue, malaria, scrub typhus and leptospirosis

The Union Health Ministry on Monday asked the Kerala government to keep an eye on possible Nipah virus outbreaks in Kannur, Malappuram and Wayanad districts that are adjacent to Kozhikode where a boy had died from the deadly infection.

Following a request from the state government, the Indian Council of Medical Research has started the process of establishing a point-of-care diagnostic laboratory at the Government Medical College, Kozhikode, which houses the state level virus research and diagnostic laboratories. Presently an unit of the National Institute of Virology at Alleppey provides such laboratory support.

These are some of the recommendations and actions taken by the Centre following an on-the-spot assessment by a National Centre for Disease Control team that visited Kerala on Sunday.

Read more: More people develop Nipah virus symptoms in Kerala's Kozhikode district

In their interaction with the state officials, the NCDC team also suggested opening up a 24x7 control centre besides coordinating with Animal Health and WildLife Department to trap and collect samples from fruit bats, which harbours the virus, for testing.

On the mysterious fever deaths of Uttar Pradesh, the ministry asked the state administration to screen all fever patients for dengue, malaria, scrub typhus and leptospirosis.

Also read: Firozabad dengue outbreak: UP CM orders strict action against lax officials

While majority of the cases are caused by dengue, a few cases of scrub typhus and leptospirosis have also been found. The central recommendation was on the basis of a report submitted by a central team that visited Uttar Pradesh.

Firozabad district has recorded 51 deaths, mostly of children, and hundreds of hospitalisations in over a fortnight and the viral fever has now spread to neighbouring Mathura and Mainpuri districts.

The NCDC has deputed two epidemic intelligence service officers in the district for 14 days to assist the district administration in strengthening its outbreak response.

A district official had said that over 100 people with fever were admitted to the district hospital on Sunday. The hospital had over 400 patients on Sunday, the official added.