New Delhi: A study by ICMR has confirmed the presence of Nipah virus in bats in eight Indian states including Kerala.

Traces of the deadly virus has been confirmed in the bats from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, and also in the winged-mammals from the union territory of Pondicherry.

The study was conducted by the Institute of Virology which functions under the ICMR. Dr Pragya Yadav, the laboratory group leader, said that the survey was completed in 14 states and two union territories so far. The samples of bats from the states of Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Chandigarh did not show the presence of Nipah virus. 

Earlier, the presence of the virus was found in fruit-eating bats in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, Dhubri in Assam, and also Maynaguri and Cooch Behar in West Bengal. The current test was done across the states with the aim of expanding the base of study.