Expats in UAE worried as Nipah virus returns to Kerala

Dubai - The first case of Nipah virus infection was confirmed in Kerala on Tuesday.

UAE-based Malayalis have expressed concern for their loved ones back home, as a Kerala youth tested positive for the Nipah virus. A number of traders and travellers have also taken precautionary measures.
KK Shylaja, Health Minister of Kerala, on Tuesday confirmed the Nipah case to the local media in India.
The 23-year-old college student, from the town of Paravur, has been admitted to Kalamassery Medical College. Four others - also suspected to have been infected - have been quarantined.
The Nipah virus is one that is transmitted from animals to humans; through contaminated food; or directly between people. It infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people, making it a public health concern, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In 2018, a Nipah scare resulted in a temporary ban on Kerala fruits and vegetables in the UAE, and a travel advisory to the south Indian state was also issued.
Now that the virus has been detected again, residents couldn't help but worry about their families in Kerala.
Sharjah resident Sridevi Rajendran, who happens to be from the same town as the infected victim, said: "He was in the same school as my son. We are very worried about the situation back home, and my son is there as well. Since there is no clarity as to where the virus has originated, people are generally tensed."
"Large colonies of bats are common in Kerala. Since the virus has been detected, people have become very scared of bats, and there is a general tension in the air. People are always wearing masks," Rajendran said.
WHO studies of Nipah outbreaks showed that the most likely source of the disease in India was the consumption of fruits and fruit products that had been contaminated with the urine and saliva of infected fruit bats.
Vendors exercise caution
A fruit and vegetable vendor in the UAE, on the other hand, decided to stop importing produce from Kerala until the scare subsides. However, no official ban has been implemented yet.
"We have temporarily stopped the import of fruits and vegetables from Kerala, which make up 25 per cent of our total produce," said PC Kabeer, founder and CEO of FarmChimp, a company that sells source-traceable produce.
"The ban last year impacted our business deeply. Now, I am predicting that a ban on fruits and veggies from Kerala could be a possibility if the scare continues," he told Khaleej Times.
For others, it's business as usual, unless a ban is enforced.
Praveen Kottavathil, founder of an organic produce collective called NatureBeatz Organic, said: "We have not heard of an official ban so far, and we are not going to stop importing at the moment.
"We currently bring in an average of three tonnes of fruits and vegetables every week," he added.
Travel safety
Kerala-bound travellers that Khaleej Times spoke to said their trips would go as planned - but they would be taking "extra precaution".
Marketing professional Anand Rajiv, who is flying to Kochi today, said: "As long as I am not having local water or food from outside, I should be okay. Of course, I am worried about my health as it is not a joke."
Rajiv and his family agreed that they would not eat any street food and they would avoid contact with strangers.
Vijayan Kappillil, a chartered accountant based in Dubai, is also travelling to the state today to be with his family.
"Usually, when we travel, I consume some homeopathy medicine as a prevention. This time I could not procure the medicine, and I didn't expect this situation would come up. I booked the tickets two days ago, and my entire family is back home at the moment", Kappillil said, adding that he is 'not too worried' about his family.
However, he said he could feel that the Nipah discussions in the media have been causing panic among people.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

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