Jharkhand Health dept issues Nipah advisory, directs districts to intensify surveillance

Jharkhand Health Department issued an advisory to strengthen surveillance and preparedness against Nipah virus after two cases were reported in neighbouring West Bengal. Though no cases exist in Jharkhand, authorities urged vigilance, isolation readiness and public awareness due to high infection risk

Ranchi: The Jharkhand Health department has issued an advisory, directing all district civil surgeons to step up measures against Nipah virus in the wake of two confirmed cases in neighbouring West Bengal, an official said on Friday.

Though no confirmed case has been reported in Jharkhand so far, the movement of people from affected areas poses a potential risk, he said.

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“Given the highly infectious nature of the disease and its high mortality rate, the department stressed the need for constant surveillance,” Additional Chief Secretary, Health department, Ajoy Kumar said.

Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease primarily transmitted from bats to humans and animals. The infection can spread through consumption of fruits or raw date palm sap contaminated with bat saliva or urine, as well as through close contact with infected individuals and their bodily fluids, the department added.

The advisory listed symptoms such as high fever, headache, dizziness, cough, breathing difficulty, sore throat, altered mental status, and severe neurological complications, including seizures and coma.

“Districts are directed to strengthen screening and surveillance, particularly of individuals arriving from Nipah-affected regions, to prevent and control any potential outbreak. All suspected cases must be promptly reported to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP),” it said.

“Patients showing severe symptoms or respiratory distress must be immediately isolated and referred for advanced medical care,” it added.

It also mandated strict adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols in all healthcare facilities.

The public was urged not to eat fallen fruits or consume raw date palm sap or toddy, to avoid unnecessary close contact with individuals, and to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms appear, the advisory said.

Meanwhile, the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here has kept 22 beds in an isolation ward ready, an official said.

Earlier, on January 13, the state’s health department had sounded an alert and issued a set of guidelines regarding surveillance and public awareness.

Nipah virus is a notifiable disease with high mortality and the potential for rapid spread, requiring immediate reporting to the Central government.