Men outside a hospital wear masks as a precautionary measure against the Nipah virus in Kozhikode, Kerala, on May 21, 2018. - File photo
Dubai - The circular also advises airport officials on how to protect workers
Published: Mon 28 May 2018, 10:37 PM
Last updated: Tue 29 May 2018, 12:42 AM
All airlines and point of entries in the UAE, including airports and seaports, have been advised to keep a watch out for people exhibiting symptoms of Nipah virus (NiV), a senior health official from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said.
In a circular issued to all local authorities, airports, airlines, private and public hospitals on Thursday, the ministry outlined measures to be taken to protect the UAE from the communicable virus that has claimed up to 14 lives in Kerala, India, since its outbreak. Over 40 people are in quarantine due to the virus scare.
Dr Fatma Al Attar, director of International Health Regulations at the ministry, told Khaleej Times that the circular had also been sent to all healthcare workers in private and public hospitals.
"It states the case definition, symptoms and signs, how to detect the cases and how to take all the precautionary measures since the Nipah virus can be transmitted from person to person, through body fluids," she said.
Nipah virus - Signs and symptoms
NiV infection in humans has a range of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory syndrome and fatal encephalitis. NiV is also capable of causing disease in domestic animals.
NiV infection is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans.
Symptoms include:
. Breathing trouble
. Brain swelling
. Fever
. Headache
. Drowsiness, disorientation and delirium
. Coma possible within 48 hours of onset
The disease travels through direct contact with a patient. There is no vaccine for the virus yet and main treatment for those infected is intensive support care.
In the absence of a vaccine, the only way to reduce infection in people is by raising awareness of the risk factors and measures they can take to reduce exposure to NiV.
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Dr Fatma said that the circular had also been sent to all points of entries including the airports and seaports, with regards to any suspected cases exhibiting symptoms of Nipah.
"The circular has also been distributed to all airlines coming directly from Kerala," she said.
"If they suspect any case with symptoms, it has to be isolated immediately," Dr Fatma said, adding that the circular also advises airport officials on how to protect workers and who to inform at the airport for isolating and properly transferring the case to the hospital.
Last week, the ministry also asked residents to put off travel to Kerala unless absolutely necessary.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com
KEY FACTS
* Nipah virus is an RNA virus that is part of the Paramyxovidae family that was first identified as a zoonotic pathogen, after an outbreak involving severe respiratory illness in pigs and encephalitic disease in humans in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998-99.
* Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the natural host of Nipah virus.
* Nipah virus can be transmitted to humans from animals (bats, pigs), and also be transmitted directly from human to human.
* Nipah virus is on the WHO list of Blueprint priority diseases
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