Lok Sabha Question No. 8 (STARRED), answered on 2019-06-21
Subject: Nipah Virus
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: D.K. Suresh, Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 8 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21 ST JUNE , 2019 NIPAH VIRUS

## *8. SHRI D.K. SURESH: PROF. SAUGATA ROY:

Will  the Minister  of  HEALTH  AND  FAMILY  WELFARE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether Nipah Virus has been reported from various parts of the country, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether the Government have taken adequat e measures and extended necessary immediate  assistance  to  tackle  the  situation  and  prevent  further  outbreak Nipah Virus in the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether any State Government concerned has resisted the frequent reporti g of the drastic disease, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government is conducting awareness programme regarding Nipah virus and viral fever spreading across the country, if so, the details thereo

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) to (e):  A statement is laid on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 8 * FOR 21 ST JUNE , 2019

(a): Human Nipah virus infection is an emerging zoonotic disease in which Nipah virus is transmitted to humans from infected bats, pigs or other animals. virus outbreaks in India have only been reported from two states; West Be (2001 and 2007) and in Kerala in 2018 and now in 2019.

## De tails of outbreaks :

|   Year |   Cases | Deaths                                                | Affected States / Districts   |
|--------|---------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|   2001 |      66 | 45                                                    | West Bengal (Siliguri)        |
|   2007 |       5 | 5                                                     | West Bengal (Nadia)           |
|   2018 |      19 | 17 (16 lab confirmed, index case - not lab confirmed) | Kerala (Kozhikode Malappuram) |
|   2019 |       1 | 0                                                     | Kerala (Ernakulum )           |

and

In  2019  only  one  case  was  reported  which  has  been  discharged.  During  t outbreak, contact tracing was done for 330 contacts and 50 symptomatic cont were quarantined, samples from these were also tested for Nipah virus and al found to be ne gative. Out of 36 Pteropus species bats tested for Nipah, 12(3 were found to be positive for ' anti Nipah bat IgG antibodies '.

- (b) & (c): Considering the mode of Nipah virus transmission from bats to hu and thereafter from infected humans to humans ; multi - disciplinary teams including doctors  and  experts  from  MoH&FW  {National  Centre  for  Disease  Control (NCDC),  Emergency  Medical  Relief  Division  (EMR),  All  India  Institute  o Medical  Sciences  (AIIMS),  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR)}, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DADF), Ministry of Agriculture  and  Farmer's  Welfare  and  Wildlife  Division  of  MoE,F&CC  was deputed  to  assist  the  investigation  in  humans  and  animals  (bats  /  anim livestock)  and  environment. The  central  teams  assisted  the  state  government  in epidemiological investigation, contact tracing, surveillance, technical sup

firming up treatment protocols, ventilator management, infection prevention control measures and use of Personal Prot ection Equipment (PPE).

The teams also assisted the state government for risk communication to community, public, stakeholders and other partners. NIV, Pune tested the sa from humans and bats and the Wildlife Division was involved in collection of bats. Government of India has also issued the following guidelines:

- Brief on Nipah Virus disease
- Advisory for General Public
- Advisory for Health Care Personnel
- Guidelines for sample collection for Nipah Virus
- Hospital infection control guidelines
- Laboratory Biosafety guidelines

For  prevention  of  further  outbreaks,  the  Ministry  of  Health  &FW  h established mechanism for sharing of data between animal and human surveilla networks for early detection of infection among humans and mapp ing of hotspots, which  have  potential  for  transmission  of  infection  from  animals  to  human areas.

(d): No Sir

(e):  MoHFW  has  developed  Information  Education  and  communication  (IEC) material  for  increasing  community  awareness  on  possible  modes  of  getti infection and further transmission among humans. Govt. has also issued advis for general public and health care personnel for prevention and control of N humans. Theseadvisories have also been uploaded on the MoHFW website and shared with sta tes.

In addition, advisory and IEC material with regard to other viral di which  are  potential  public  health  threats  like  H1N1,  Chikungunya,  Deng Kyasanur  Forest  Disease  (KFD)  in  various  parts  of  the  country  have  also issued  from  time  to  time and  are  uploaded  in  public  domain  on  websites  of National  Centre  for  Disease  Control (NCDC),  National  Vector  Borne  Disease Control  Programme  (NVBDCP),  Director  General  of  Health  Services  (DGHS), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).