In the wake of a case of the Nipah virus being reported in Kerala, Tamil Nadu has stepped up temperature checks in nine districts that share borders with the neighbouring state, said state Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian. The directive to ramp up the existing measures comes after a 12-year-old boy from Kerala died after being infected by the Nipah virus in the early hours of Sunday, September 5. A negative RT-PCR test result or certificate proving two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine is already mandatory to enter Tamil Nadu from Kerala.

The boy who succumbed to the Nipah virus infection hailed from Kozhikode. The samples, which were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune, confirmed the presence of the virus. He reportedly had brain fever, in addition to other symptoms of the disease such as high temperature and vomiting. There are also reports that he had COVID-19.

Ma Subramanian also said that the Tamil Nadu Health Department has shared information about the Nipah virus to health officials across the state and that the government has directed health officials to conduct fever clinics and camps at the borders. “When Zika virus was reported in Kerala, we had held similar fever camps at the border areas to screen people coming from Kerala. We will repeat the same process now,” he added.

The Minister further mentioned that the Chennai International Airport has installed thermal scanning facilities and has put in place an RT-PCR testing facility that can provide results in 13 minutes to check COVID-19 infection among international passengers.

Both these measures have been stepped up following reports of a new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa, according to Ma Subramanian.

State Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan has reportedly asked all district collectors and district health officials to be vigilant about preventing Nipah and Zika virus infections from spreading to Tamil Nadu.

(With input from IANS)

Watch: Kerala Health Minister on the Nipah virus case