Saudi Arabia has reportedly put a ban on processed and frozen fruit and vegetable imports from Kerala amidst severe concerns over the deadly Nipah Virus outbreak.
The Nipah virus can result in a dangerous swelling of the brain called-encephalitis and its common symptoms can vary from a cough, headache, high fever, shortness of breath to confusion, reported the Gulf News on Monday.
The virus resides naturally in fruit bats across South and Southeast Asia and can spread to humans through contact with the animals’ bodily fluids. The difficult part is that it has no vaccine and no cure. The virus is listed by the W.H.O. as a high priority for research.
About 100 tonnes of fruits and vegetables fresh produce that was to be imported from Kerala was prohibited from entry as per orders from UAE authorities.
Moreover, UAE has also come forward to give medical aid over the virus outbreak as one of the UAE based health providers, VPS Healthcare sent a flight to the Kerala government carrying medical supplies.
It is important to note that about 18 positive cases have died while two are reported to be recovering at a Kozhikode hospital. In addition, about, 1000 people, who have reported to have come in contact with the affected, are being monitored.