Two patients suspected of contracting Nipah have been hospitalised in Mangaluru, even as the health department put the ground workers on high alert to tackle the virus in the state.
The throat swabs of the two patients, admitted in separate hospitals in Mangaluru, have been sent for tests to the Manipal Virus Research Centre (MVRC) and the results are expected by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
Dr Ramakrishna Rao, the district health officer, said the samples would be forwarded to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for confirmation after obtaining the MVRC report.
Rao said one of the patients had a history of travels to Kerala while the other hailed from Dakshina Kannada district bordering that state.
The department would hold thorough screenings in the districts bordering Kerala – Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada.
Dr Mohammed Shariff, research officer, department of health and family welfare, said the DHOs and surveillance officers had been alerted and meetings had been held to check the readiness. “Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers) and other ground-level health staff will conduct screenings in villages bordering Kerala,” he said.
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