The state Animal Husbandry Department has set up district- and state-level monitoring committees and a 24×7 helpline to help the livestock farmers in the wake of the Nipah virus outbreak.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state Animal Husbandry Department has set up district- and state-level monitoring committees and a 24×7 helpline to help the livestock farmers in the state in the wake of the Nipah virus outbreak and to contain the threat of a possible spread of the virus to domestic animals and birds in the state.
In a release issued here on Tuesday, the animal husbandry director said farmers will get round-the-clock service from the state animal disease emergency control (Nipah viral fever) helpline number 0471-2732151.
Farmers should contact the veterinary hospitals if the domestic animals or birds show any symptoms like respiratory disorder or uneasiness in their behaviour. And those who come in contact with the animals and pets should maintain cleanliness, he said.
In case any animals show symptoms similar to that of the Nipah viral infection, the department would take necessary steps to test the samples in state-level institutes and if needed, the samples would be sent to the high-security lab in Bhopal to confirm the infection. He also directed farmers to avoid feeding the animals and pets with fruits like Syzygium aqueum (chambakka), guava and mangoes suspected to have bitten by bats.
