Chennai, May 11 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government’s health department has increased surveillance in several villages of Coimbatore District against the spread of the dreaded West Nile Virus and deployed 12 Mobile Medical Teams (MMT) to screen people in 12 blocks.

This is following many districts of Kerala reporting cases of the West Nile Virus, which is a mosquito-borne disease.

The Coimbatore District Health Department has deployed 12 Mobile Medical Teams (MMT) to screen people with fever and influenza in 12 blocks to check whether they are infected with the virus.

The disease is spread through the Culex mosquitoes and the symptoms are high fever, stiff neck, headache, disorientation, stupor, tremors, convulsions and muscle weakness.

In some cases, it even leads to coma, paralysis and death.

Dr R Ramanandan, Professor of Microbiology in a private medical college in Coimbatore told IANS, “West Nile Virus is a dangerous disease and proper medication has to be given to the patients at the earliest to prevent their condition from deteriorating. If the patient is not treated on time it can lead to paralysis and even death.”

Deputy Director of Health Services, Dr P Aruna told IANS that the department has accelerated the screening of patients with fever in Coimbatore District after one person died and many were hospitalised in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur districts of Kerala.

The state health department has also sent circulars to all the district health officers to conduct screening for the West Nile Virus in patients who undergo checks for fever in Primary Health Centres in the state.