UAE lifts Nipah travel advisory to Kerala

Top Stories

UAE lifts Nipah travel advisory to Kerala

Dubai - However, residents are urged to take all precautions when travelling to Kerala.

by

Asma Ali Zain

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Tue 19 Jun 2018, 6:19 PM

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) has lifted the travel advisory to Kerala it had issued in mid-May where a Nipah (NiV) outbreak has claimed over 17 lives.
With summer holidays around the corner, the ministry, however, has asked residents to take all precautions.
In a statement sent to Khaleej Times, the ministry said, "According to the latest report received from the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease has been controlled and there are no travel barriers to Kerala."
"The ministry does not prohibit the public from travelling to Kerala but precautions should be taken by travellers to any area suffering from endemic diseases," read the statement.
"We recommend travelers to any destination in the world to visit Mohap traveler's clinics to consult our doctors before travel for an adequate period of 4-6 weeks for the following reasons," the statement added.
To assess the health risks associated with travel and health status, it said, adding that it was also recommended to conduct some necessary tests if required as well as to introduce the traveller to various types of vaccinations that may be needed for the destination.
The statement said that a visit to the traveller's clinic was also important to provide awareness and advice to ensure a person's safety while traveling.
 
In May, the ministry had asked people to put off unnecessary travel plans to India's Kerala state, where a Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak claimed a number of lives and also led to several others being put in quarantine.
It had also issued a circular to officials of airlines, airports and seaports to watch out for passengers coming into UAE and exhibiting symptoms of Nipah virus (NiV). The circular was distributed to all airlines coming directly from Kerala to the UAE, according to a health official.
"If they (airline officials) suspect any case with symptoms, it has to be isolated immediately," Dr Fatma Al Attar, director of international health regulations at the ministry had said.
People can take some precautions against the virus. The virus can be transmitted easily, precautions are important for hospital workers in charge of taking care of the infected patients. Precautions should also be taken when submitting and handling laboratory samples, as well as in slaughterhouses.

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 pigs and other domestic animals.
NiV infection is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans.
Symptoms:
> Breathing trouble
> Brain swelling
> Fever
> Headache
> Drowsiness, disorientation and delirium.
> A patient can fall into a coma within 48 hours.
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 supportive care.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com


More news from