Chennai, Sep 13 (IANS): Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has issued an alert in the border areas following the Nipah virus-related deaths in Kozhikode, Kerala.

Dr T. S. Selvanivayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Government of Tamil Nadu, in a statement, said: "In view of two

Nipah virus cases reported from Kerala , we would screen passengers from Kerala at border check posts by the health team. A separate team has been deployed round the clock in six districts of Tamil Nadu that share borders with Kerala."

The six districts are The Nilgiris,Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Theni, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari.

The deputy directors of health services are directed to screen all symptomatic fever cases at the borders with necessary protective equipment.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian interacted with the media at Gudalur in the Nilgiri district and informed people that there was no need

for panic over the Nipah outbreak in Kerala.

The minister also said that screening would be done for those who were having fever symptoms.