Surveillance is on, Barak Valley prepared to detect Nipah cases citizens need not panic

Since last week, people of the entire country is worried about the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala. So far, 11 deaths have been reported of which one was a nurse attending a patient attacked by the deadly virus. In India and Bangladesh, the fatality rate of Nipah attack is as high as 75 per cent while in Malaysia its 40 per cent.

The Kerala government today issued an advisory against travelling in four districts of Kerala. “Travelling to any part of Kerala is safe. However, if travellers wish to be extra cautious, they can avoid the four districts”, health secretary Rajeev Sadanandan was quoted in Times of India.

This is summer vacation time and Kerala is a hotspot for tourists. Many from Assam and Barak Valley too visit the state on tropical Malabar Coast to enjoy the backwaters and houseboats. “We are yet to receive any instruction from the Center but we are already on alert,” said Ajit Bhattacharjee, district surveillance officer.

He added, “As precautionary measures we have instructed the surveillance team to survey fever immediately whenever there is any unusual scenario. We are constantly monitoring the profile of travellers coming to Assam. If someone comes from the affected districts of Kerala and is suffering from fever then they should immediately report to nearest medical center and we will do a survey in the entire locality too.”

World Health Organisation (WHO) now considers Nipah virus (NiV), which was first detected in Malaysia in 1998 as a “newly emerging zoonosis”. The 1998 outbreak in Malaysia infected 265 and killed 105 persons. The virus was detected in Kampung Sungai Nipah and that’s how it got the name, “Nipah”. Pigs were the intermediate hosts and 11 Lakh pigs were slaughtered to reduce the chances of further reproduction of the virus. In 2004, there was an outbreak in Bangladesh and that time researchers found out that humans became infected with NiV as a result of consuming date palms (Khejur). This is not the first Nipah outbreak in India. In 2001, 66 Nipah cases was reported in Siliguri of which 45 lost their life. It took the authorities six months to figure out that it’s Nipah that causing the deaths. Many human-to-human transmission cases were documented in the hospitals of India at that time.

After Siliguri the Kerala outbreak is the biggest one, there are reports which claims that three people who died due to NiV in Kerala may have consumed mangoes bitten by fruit bats as infected mangoes were found in their houses. While it is not yet a major epidemic it can take a more tragic shape very easily and that is why All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has sent an expert team in Kerala to look into things. The team has now instructed people not to panic as situation is under control.

Since the time news about the outbreak flashed, a sea of articles/posts started flowing in social media. There are fake posts that claim deaths, which led to people getting panicked. Kerala DGP Crime Loknath Behara issued a warning which states that stern action would be taken against those who spread false information with regard to the virus in the social media.

“Creation of fake or false messages, spreading them to cause panic or public disorder are criminal acts and liable for investigation and prosecution. Directions have been issued to DGP (crimes) to register criminal cases against the creators of the messages and propagators,” he was quoted in Times Of India.

Deputy Commissioner of Cachar S Lakshmanan, too echoed similar sentiments. He was of the opinion that since no instruction has been issued by either state or central government yet there is no need for the district administration to issue any instructions. He said, “We are on our toes, whenever any instruction comes we will not even delay by a second.” He also mentioned that if the need arises Cachar can tackle the scenario, “We have isolation wards in Silchar Medical College, we will take steps if needed,” he added.

For now people of Barak Valley can live their normal life, there is no need to give up any food either. “District administration and medical units are taking the necessary steps and in case there is something to worry about we will communicate it directly,” Lakshmanan conclude