Mangaluru: The health condition of two patients in the city whose throat swab samples were sent to two laboratories on Tuesday to know whether they are infected with Nipah virus is improving, a health department official said here on Wednesday.

The samples drawn from a 20-year-old woman admitted in a private hospital and a 75-year-old man being treated at the Government Wenlock Hospital had been sent to Manipal Centre for Virus Research, Manipal and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for analysis.

The report is expected on Thursday, Rajesh B V, Dakshina Kannada Survelliance Officer, told The Hindu. The report of the NIV is final, he said.

“The two patients are doing very well on Wednesday and their condition is improving,” he said adding that they were being given symptomatic treatment separately in the respective hospitals.

Dr. Rajesh said the woman was returning from Kozhikode, Kerala.

The samples were sent for analysis after doctors observed the symptoms and not ready to take any chances, he said.

Dr. Rajesh said that the health department here on Wednesday created a local WhatsApp group for internal communication of doctors both in private and government sectors in the district.

It has members of Indian Medical Association as well. The group is for exchange of information relating to Nipah.

He said that all education institutes have been instructed to inform the health department if any suspected Nipah symptoms were noticed among students both in schools and colleges and in hostels.