The Goa health department has asked all hospitals to remain alert in the wake of reports of Nipah virus outbreak, which has claimed at least ten lives in Kerala. Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that random checks are also being done on people coming to the state from Kerala. He said that this is being done in accordance with the directives of the central government.
Rane added that the Goan officials are in regular touch with the Kerala authorities over the matter. He noted that the virus spreads through fruit seeds and that the disease infected people across the world in the year 2014.
Considering the seriousness of the situation, the Centre on Monday rushed a high-level team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), including its director, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh and Head of Epidemiology, Dr SK Jain.
Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly emerging disease that can transmit to humans from animals. The natural host of the virus is fruit bats.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
