Bengaluru: Health Department issues circular to all dist officers on West Nile Fever
Bengaluru: The Health and Family Welfare Department on Wednesday issued a circular to all District Health and Family Welfare Officers across the state on controlling West Nile Fever (WNF). The department, however, clarified that there are no cases of the fever in the state till now.
The circular was issued as a boy died of the dreaded fever in the neighbouring Kerala on Monday.
West Nile Fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by flavivirus West Nile Virus (WNV) and is related to the virus that causes yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and St Louis encephalitis. Infections in humans are due to bites from infected mosquitoes. People who get WNV usually have symptoms of a fever, like cold, fever, body aches, headache, fatigue and nausea.
“It usually manifests as a nonspecific febrile illness, like fever and body pain. Few may have rashes and lymphadenopathy. However, 1 in 150 cases may have neurological involvement, like a severe headache, altered sensorium, seizures or a polio-like paralysis. Few of these may have long-term sequelae. There is no specific treatment for this viral infection as of now. However, it can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites by use of mosquito repellents, net lawn screens and use of long-sleeved clothes when going outdoors. Removing mosquito breeding sites by sanitation measures is of utmost importance,” said Dr Pratik Patil, Consultant-infectious diseases, Fortis hospital.
Dr. S. Sajjan Shetty, Joint Director, Communicable Disease, Department of Health and Family Welfare told Deccan Chronicle, “We have informed all the neighbouring districts to stay on alert. The precautionary and control measures are already being taken for all the mosquito-borne diseases in the state. If required, we will intensify the control measures and AES surveillance.”
He said that health officers have been instructed to conduct blood tests if necessary. “Manipal Hospital in Udupi will be testing the samples and we have also asked the National Institute of Virology to get kits from Pune if necessary,” said Dr Shetty.
