Kozhikode, June 2: As the death toll is rising each day, a wave of panic has gripped Kerala. In a shocking incident, fake medicines in the name of deadly Nipah Virus preventive medicine were distributed at Manassery Homeo Hospital in Kerala’s Kozhikode. According to a report by Mathrubhumi, the incident surfaced after around 30 people who took the medicine complained of uneasiness.

As per reports, the staff of Homeo Hospital distributed the medicine on Friday. The most shocking thing is that there was no doctor to supervise while the staff distributed the medicines. Officials including the Health Minister had said that there is no preventive medicine against Nipah infection in Homeopathy.

The death of a person in the area due to Nipah Virus infection triggered panic and people were prompted to consume the medicine that was distributed by the hospital. The Homeo DMO said that permission has not been given to distribute any such medicine. An investigation into the incident is underway.

The Kerala state health department had issued an advisory earlier this month for people travelling to the state and urged travellers to be extra cautious while visiting Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur districts. On Friday, Kerala Health Minister K. K. Shailaja on Friday said that her department is fully geared to prevent the Nipah virus from spreading. "We are getting ready to tackle the second phase as there are chances that the virus has spread as it is contagious," the state health minister said.

To the unknown, the Nipah virus, spread by fruit bats is fatal for both animals and humans. The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, drowsiness, respiratory illness, disorientation and mental confusion. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), these signs and symptoms can progress to coma within 24-48 hours.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2018 06:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).