Chief Medical and Health Officer of Gwalior Dr Mudul Saxena has put on alert all the doctors and other medical professionals of the district in the wake of reports about Nipah virus outbreaks, and has asked them to maintain strict vigil on patients suffering from fever, headache, vomiting etc, especially those who have recently come to the city from Kerala. The alert was issued on Whatsapp.
Nipah virus which induces flu like symptoms have already claimed many lives in Northern Kerala causing large scale panic in the state. According to medical experts, fruit bats are the natural hosts of this deadly virus, and because they can’t fly long distances the outbreak is more or less localized. But since it is an emerging transmissible disease, spreading from one human to another the threat cannot and should not be taken lightly.
Speaking to the media persons, the CMHO said that the threat to the city through the Nipah virus is very low and there is no cause for panic. The medical professionals have only been asked to stay alert and report if they come across any patients with flue like symptoms like high fever, vomiting, headache and respiratory problems.
He added that these symptoms have the potential to lead to the contagious Nipah-infected fever that has a high mortality rate. He also said that health professionals have been advised to take the highest possible level of protection while treating such patients as the fever is highly contagious.