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Bengaluru, September 17: The Karnataka health department has stepped up its surveillance after a Nipah virus (NiV) infection was reported in Kerala. A 24-year-old postgraduate student from Malappuram studying in Bengaluru died due to Nipah Virus on September 8.
- The student who died was a psychology student studying in an institute at Soladevanahalli, Bengaluru. On September 5, he had a fever after returning back to his hometown here on August 25 following a leg injury. His condition quickly worsened and he ultimately died.
- The health department has initiated contact tracing to identify others who may have had contact with the deceased individual. In Bengaluru, two asymptomatic primary contacts have been traced.
- 32 students and staff members of the institute attended the funeral of the deceased in Kerala. While no symptoms have been showing by any one of them up to now. The department has actually been watching their wellness condition.
- The department has asked primary health centers in Chikkabanavara and Gopalpura to track the primary and secondary contacts.
- Dinesh Gundu Rao, the State Health Minister, has appealed people not to panic about the situation.
The Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) is already in high alert to control the spread of the virus.
Although there has been as of now no case of Nipah virus in Karnataka. The incident is a sign that the infection may be moving around. The state had seen a major outbreak of Nipah this year. Symptoms are important for the public to help protect themselves against infection with this type of virus.
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