CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has stepped up statewide disease surveillance and hospital preparedness in response to confirmed Nipah virus cases in West Bengal, directing health authorities to intensify monitoring for acute encephalitis syndrome, enforce strict infection control protocols and ensure early detection to prevent any spillover into the State.

In an official communication, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPHPM) instructed all district and city health officers to heighten vigilance, particularly for cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), and to strengthen field-level surveillance, infection control practices and public awareness in both government and private health facilities.

“The focus is on early identification, prompt reporting and strict infection prevention protocols. All health facilities must be alert to AES cases presenting with fever and altered sensorium, especially among persons with recent travel or contact history linked to West Bengal,” the communication said.

The advisory noted that Nipah virus infection, a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans and through close human contact, has an incubation period ranging from 6 to 21 days and can cause severe neurological and respiratory illness. Health officials have been directed to closely monitor suspect cases and immediately notify district surveillance units through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) portal.

The State has also reiterated standard case definitions for suspected, probable and confirmed Nipah infections, stressing the need for laboratory confirmation through RT-PCR testing or virus isolation.

Testing facilities are currently available at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, the advisory said.

Emphasising prevention, the government has called on the public in high-risk settings to avoid consuming raw date palm sap or toddy, eat only washed fruits, and refrain from handling partially eaten fruits or entering abandoned wells, which may be contaminated by fruit bats, the natural reservoir of the virus. Hand hygiene and avoidance of close contact with sick persons or animals have been underscored.

Healthcare workers have been instructed to strictly follow standard infection control measures, including the use of personal protective equipment during patient care and aerosol-generating procedures. “All suspected Nipah cases must be admitted to isolation wards, and unnecessary contact should be avoided,” the advisory said, adding that safe biomedical waste disposal and disinfection protocols must be adhered to without exception.

Mortuary staff handling Nipah-related deaths have been advised to wear appropriate protective gear and use sealed body bags during transportation.

The State government said it remains in a state of preparedness and urged the public to remain calm while cooperating with health advisories, noting that timely reporting and adherence to precautions are key to preventing the spread of the infection.