PUDUCHERRY: Concerns over spread of Nipah Virus has reached Tamil Nadu from neighbouring Kerala, with one suspected case being identified. The patient, a 53-year-old man from Cuddalore working in Kerala, was admitted to JIPMER in Puducherry on Sunday with symptoms of Nipah infection such as high fever and flu.
“The patient’s blood samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for tests. We can confirm the details only after reports arrive from Pune,” said JIPMER authorities. The patient is being treated in an isolated ward to prevent spreading of the infection. A four-level test is required to identify Nipah. The patient’s report, hence, will be ready only by Thursday.
Concerns over fresh outbreak of the disease, which affects respiratory and nervous systems of human beings, was first reported from Kerala last week after a college student in Ernakulam tested positive.
Meanwhile, in Puducherry, the government held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to assess the preparedness to face any potential outbreak. The Puducherry government has made arrangements to identify sick travellers from high-risk areas of Kerala, such as Ernakulam and Idukki, at bus terminus and railway stations through IRCS volunteers and direct them to isolation facility for screening.