Nipah presence detected in fruit bats in Wayanad

Health workers have been asked to remain alert on persons reporting at hospitals with suspected symptoms. People should avoid consuming fruits with signs of bat bites to avoid infection, said the minister. Health workers in Wayanad would be given training to enlighten people about the situation, she said, adding that there is no ground for panic, she said.

ICMR had collected samples from all districts in Kerala as part of their study. The presence of the virus was detected in fruit bats in Wayanad.

Last month, Kozhikode district reported the Nipah virus, and claimed two lives. Four others, including a nine-year-old boy, had survived the infection. They all belonged to Maruthonkara, a region in the eastern part of Kozhikode, which is close to the Mananthavady region in the nearby Wayanad district. In last month’s outbreak also antibodies against the Nipah virus have been found in samples of fruit bats collected from the Maruthonkara region.

The health department is slated to declare Kozhikode as Nipah-free tomorrow on Thursday to mark the end of the month incubation period.