One more dies of Nipah at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital

Kozhikode: One more person afflicted with  NiV died  at the Medical College Hospital here on Saturday taking the toll to 13.  The victim was identified as  Kalyani, 75, of  Perambra Naripetta, who had contracted the disease from the hospital, it is said. Two NiV-confirmed patients are  under  critical care. The number of suspected NiV cases has   come down to 13 from the earlier 24. All the 13 cases are from Kozhikode. According to DMO V. Jayashree, the test results  from five other districts were negative.

The animal husbandry and health department personnel  have launched an operation to catch fruit bats from the virus-hit Soopikada at Panthirikara in Perambra to confirm the source of the virus.  According to animal husbandry director Dr. N.N. Sasi, they could not find any fruit bat in the area. “There was no fruit bat in the well which was presumed to be the source  of the virus. We caught insectivorous bats from the well and the test result was negative,” he said. The team could not  trace any fruit bat on Saturday. 

The team from the department of virus research, KMC Manipal,  had earlier found the remnants of mangoes believed to have been  bitten by  fruit bats from the premises of  Moosa’s house where three deaths occurred. The authorities also fear that the combing operations  had caused fruit bats to leave the spot.