India

Bats in Kerala’s Wayanad test positive for Nipah virus: ICMR

Medical authorities in Kozhikode suspected an outbreak of the virus after two patients died of suspected Nipah symptoms in September.

Thiruvananthapuram: A month after the Nipah scare abated in Kerala’s Kozhikode district, State Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday informed that the ICMR tests conducted on bats from neighbouring Wayanad district have turned out positive.

While interacting with media, George pointed out that the bat samples collected from Sulthan Bathery and Manathavady areas in Wayanad district have tested positive for the virus.

“The need of the hour is that alert health professionals should leave nothing to chance when they engage in the routine work of examining patients. There should be a cautious approach,” said George.

Incidentally, it was during the second week of September that the medical authorities in Kozhikode suspected an outbreak of the virus after two patients died of suspected Nipah symptoms.

Kozhikode had witnessed two Nipah deaths and six positive cases. Over 1,000 samples were sent for testing.

This post was last modified on October 25, 2023 1:38 pm

Share
Indo-Asian News Service

Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. The service reports news, views and analysis from the subcontinent about the country, across a wide range of subjects.

Load more...