Muscat, The Ministry of Health (MOH), represented
by the Directorate General of Diseases Surveillance & Control followed
the epidemiological situation of Nipah virus (Niv) in Kerala in the
Republic of India.
The Nipah virus is newly emerging disease transmitted through fruit
bats. The infections of the virus have several clinical symptoms
including fever and acute respiratory syndrome that may develop into
encephalitis.
Based on the current data and continues cooperation between the
MOH, World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health of
the Republic of India, the Directorate assessed the risk of spread of
infection outside Kerala.
As for the Sultanate, the risk is in the travel movement from and to
the affected areas. Therefore, the Ministry argues all citizens and
residents to avoid traveling to Kozhikode and Malappuram in Kerala at
present only in cases of extreme necessity. The Ministry also calls upon
those coming from these areas to go to the health institutions in case
appearing any symptoms associated with fever within three weeks of
their return.
The Ministry also assures that the possibility of transmission of the
disease through the fruits imported from India is very slight and nearly
absent, noting the necessity to wash fruits before use it.
The Ministry has prepared a guidebook on dealing with the
suspected cases of the disease and circulated to all health institutions
in the Sultanate. It also provided the laboratory reagents using in
diagnosing the disease.
Furthermore, the Ministry affirms that all citizens and residents must
take the information from its official sources or contact the Ministry via
the MOH Contact Center at (24441999) in case of any queries.
Source: Oman News Agency