<p class="title">After the 2018 Nipah virus scare from Kerala, Karnataka is taking no chances following the death of a six-year-old from the rare West Nile Fever in Malappuram district in the neighbouring state. The Karnataka health department has put the districts which share borders with Kerala on high alert.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The West Nile virus is transmitted to humans via mosquito bites. The mosquitoes get the virus through infected birds. The department has issued a circular to district health officials across the state.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Dr S Sajjan Shetty, joint director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, state health and family welfare department, told <span class="italic">DH</span>, “On Wednesday, we alerted the border districts of Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada. I have asked them to strengthen the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) surveillance.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">“There is no need to panic as the chances of the virus leading to severe conditions are remote. A drive against mosquitoes and migratory birds, the major carriers of the virus, will be carried out,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In January 2018, a suspected case of West Nile Fever was reported from Dakshina Kannada district. Later, the patient recovered and was discharged.</p>
<p class="title">After the 2018 Nipah virus scare from Kerala, Karnataka is taking no chances following the death of a six-year-old from the rare West Nile Fever in Malappuram district in the neighbouring state. The Karnataka health department has put the districts which share borders with Kerala on high alert.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The West Nile virus is transmitted to humans via mosquito bites. The mosquitoes get the virus through infected birds. The department has issued a circular to district health officials across the state.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Dr S Sajjan Shetty, joint director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, state health and family welfare department, told <span class="italic">DH</span>, “On Wednesday, we alerted the border districts of Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada. I have asked them to strengthen the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) surveillance.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">“There is no need to panic as the chances of the virus leading to severe conditions are remote. A drive against mosquitoes and migratory birds, the major carriers of the virus, will be carried out,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In January 2018, a suspected case of West Nile Fever was reported from Dakshina Kannada district. Later, the patient recovered and was discharged.</p>