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