The Tamil Nadu health department enforced round‑the‑clock health screenings on the directive of Coimbatore District Collector Pawan Kumar G Giriappanavar.
Published Jul 17, 2025 | 12:41 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 17, 2025 | 12:41 PM
Nipah Virus. (iStock)
Synopsis: The Tamil Nadu Health Department stepped up surveillance at all Kerala–Tamil Nadu border entry points following the Nipah scare. All vehicles entering Tamil Nadu from Kerala are being thoroughly checked before entry, with special focus at the Chavadi checkpoint.
Following the confirmation of Nipah virus cases in the Palakkad district of Kerala, the Tamil Nadu Health Department on Thursday, 17 July, stepped up surveillance at all Kerala–Tamil Nadu border entry points.
The Tamil Nadu health department, which enforced round‑the‑clock health screenings from Tuesday night on the directive of Coimbatore District Collector Pawan Kumar G Giriappanavar, might initiate a partial closure of the National Highway for vehicles coming in from Kerala.
All vehicles entering Tamil Nadu from Kerala are being thoroughly checked before entry, with special focus at the Chavadi checkpoint.
A dedicated team of more than 30 healthcare workers from Coimbatore, led by Special Medical Officer Dr R Prathibha and Madukkarai Health Inspector MG Rajkumar, along with Chavadi Police personnel, has been deployed for round-the-clock monitoring.
The alert follows the death of a man, a native of Changaleeri in Mannarkkad, in the Palakkad district, who succumbed to Nipah virus infection recently.
Meanwhile, the son of a deceased individual was suspected of Nipah infection during an initial examination at Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital on Wednesday. The patient is currently in isolation, and further confirmatory tests are awaited.
As part of containment efforts, the main National Highway route from Kerala to Coimbatore has been temporarily closed, and vehicles are being diverted through service roads after inspection. Vehicles heading to Kerala from Tamil Nadu are not being checked, but thermal scanning and health screening have been made mandatory for all passengers entering Tamil Nadu.
Contact tracing is ongoing in Palakkad and Malappuram districts of Kerala, and Tamil Nadu health officials have indicated that stricter measures would be introduced soon.
At present, Palakkad has recorded two confirmed cases. Of which one died, and one is still undergoing treatment.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Veni EN)
