New Delhi: Eight districts in Karnataka and seven districts in Tamil Nadu were put on high alert on Wednesday, a day after a new case of Nipah virus infection was confirmed in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, The News Minute reported.
Some of these districts share a border with Kerala.
In Karnataka, the districts of Chamrajnagar, Mysuru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga, and Chikamagaluru are on alert.
Similarly, the Tamil Nadu government has issued alert for Kanyakumari, Nilgiri, Coimbatore, Ooty, Dindigul, Tirunelveli, and Theni districts.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reviewed the measures in place and said the situation was under control and there was no cause for panic. “I urge the people not to panic as the government is leaving no stone unturned to remedy the situation,” PTI quoted him as saying. “I am personally reviewing the situation with Health Minister of Kerala K K Shailaja on a regular basis.”
A 23-year-old college student in Kerala, who tested positive for Nipah on Tuesday, is in stable condition, according to the government. The health of five others suspected of having contracted the virus is improving.
For starters, Nipah is a dangerous, life-threatening virus that can be transferred from animals to humans. It causes fever and cold-like symptoms in patients before quickly advancing to encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, and myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart.
At present, there is no vaccine or cure for Nipah infections. An outbreak of the virus in Kerala in May last year had killed 17 people.
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Ms Kalinga