After a fresh case of the Nipah virus was confirmed in central Ernakulam district in Kerala on Tuesday, Karnataka health department has put on high alert eight districts in the state. The health department has identified Chamrajanagar, Mysuru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru as the vulnerable districts and have alerted the district administration and hospitals to submit a compulsory report on the daily outbreak regarding Nipah. A circular issued by the Directorate of health and family welfare services says that an inter-departmental coordination committee meeting should be convened immediately including veterinary departments in all the eight districts. Read: Kerala youth tests Nipah positive, over 300 placed under quarantine The department has given directions to hospitals to identify two isolation beds to isolate suspected Nipah cases. Those travelling from the affected regions should be screened for 21 days. The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, has been identified as the laboratory for diagnosis of Nipah virus. According to the health department, since 2018, 18 cases and 16 deaths have been reported from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala. Read: Nipah in Kerala: last year, this year, what next On Thursday, Bengaluru City Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun issues circular to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) hospitals and primary health care centres in all 198 wards to strengthen surveillance in view of the Nipah virus in Kerala. BBMP also issues a public notice informing citizens on symptoms and steps to be taken in the event of diagnosis. "Treatment is available in BBMP hospitals," reads the notice.
