Nipah Virus alert in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district

In Madhya Pradesh, precautionary measures against outbreak of Nipah virus have been taken by the Guna district administration. 

The move has come after large numbers of bats were found dead in the premises of National Fertilizers limited (NFL). Bats are considered primarily responsible for the Nipah virus.

The Gwalior district health department has also issued an advisory. The advisory read “Chief medical and health officer of Guna informed that all staff members have been alerted and a team of veterinary experts were sent to collect samples for asserting cause of bat mortalities. People in the region are being made aware about the Nipah virus.”

Speaking to the media, Guna’s Chief Medical Officer Dr P Bunkar said: “Everyone has been asked to be careful due to Nipah virus. We have conducted the post-mortem of the bats and are awaiting the report to take appropriate steps.” Presently the facility to test for the virus is available only at the National Institute of Virology in Pune, he said.

However, it is being said that bats might have died because of heat waves but  the administration is taking all necessary precautions and is waiting for the reports of veterinary experts.