Bats in Wayanad test positive for Nipah virus: ICMR

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala health minister Veena George revealed that tests conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on bats from Wayanad district have turned out positive for Nipah virus. 

Addressing the media, George said that the virus shows no signs of mutation and the same variant from past years has been identified in the samples collected from Bathery and Mananthavady regions. 

"ICMR has notified us of the presence of Nipah virus in samples collected from the bats in Wayanad. The finding is the result of more sample collection in the region. There is no need to panic. A decision has been made to provide adequate training to health personnel in order for them to take precautionary measures against Nipah among individuals admitted to hospitals with severe lung illnesses," said George.

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

A few months back, Kozhikode witnessed two deaths and six positive cases of the Nipah virus. As part of the localised containment, the district was placed on high alert for several days.