West Nile Virus: Kerala Health Department on High Alert As Fever Cases Emerge in 3 Districts

Kerala's health department has issued a directive urging all districts to intensify pre-monsoon cleaning campaigns and surveillance activities. This follows recent reports of West Nile Virus cases in three districts. 

Five cases of the vector-borne disease have been reported in Kozhikode, with Malappuram and Thrissur districts also registering infections in recent days. Given that numerous cases exhibit no symptoms, the health department has refrained from releasing an official tally at this time.

“Of the five cases reported so far in the district, four have recovered and one is currently under treatment in the government medical college hospital,” Kozhikode district collector Snehil Kumar Singh told reporters. “Cases of West Nile Fever have been reported in the district before. It’s similar to dengue. There is no cause for alarm or panic right now. There are no hot spots.”

Directions have been issued to districts to have coordinated activities with officials of the local self-government department to prevent mosquito breeding and cleaning of water sources, state health minister Veena George said.

West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus is primarily transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. Mosquitoes contract the virus when they feed on birds, which are the natural hosts of the virus. Human-to-human transmission is rare in cases of West Nile Virus.