Amid fears that Nipah virus has spread to other States such as Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday issued an advisory for general public and healthcare personnel mentioning the preventive measures they should adopt in high-risk areas, along with information on how the disease spreads and what are the symptoms.
The Ministry advised the general public to avoid consuming raw date palm sap or toddy, half-eaten fruits from the ground and refrain from entering into abandoned wells and eat only washed fruits.
It informed that handling of bodies of those who died due to the disease should be done in accordance with the government advisory and that during this emotional moment traditional rituals and practices may need to be modified to prevent the exposure of family members to the disease.
The advisory informed that Nipah virus which commonly affects animals such as bats, pigs, dogs, horses, etc. Can spread from animals to humans and can sometimes cause serious illness among humans.
Spread of Nipah virus to humans may occur after close contact with other Nipah infected people, infected bats, or infected pigs. Bat secretions laden with virus can infect people during fruit tree climbing, eating/handling contaminated fallen fruits or consuming raw date palm sap/juice or toddy, the advisory mentioned.