Bats might not be behind Nipah outbreak: Central team
Kerala government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the victims of Nipah virus. The cabinet has also said that it will offer a government job to the husband of Lini Puthuserry, the nurse who died due to Nipah virus infection.
By: Express Web Desk | Kozhikode | Updated: May 23, 2018 11:42:03 am
Bats might not be the cause of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala?s Kozhikode district, according to a team of the Department of Animal Husbandry that visited Changaroth village in the district. The bats found in the premises of the family that lost three members to the outbreak were unlikely to be the cause of the disease, the central team has said.
While a final report will be out only on May 25, the teams? initial assessment is that the bats found in the house are not fruit eaters. Only fruit-eating bats can carry the Nipah virus. Animal Husbandry Commissioner Dr. Suresh S. Honnappagol said the widespread hunting of bats will only worsen the situation. The team said there was no need to panic about the outbreak.
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http://indianexpress.com/article/in...h-virus-outbreak-kerala-central-team-5187774/
Debate over host of Nipah virus
K.S. SUDHI, MAY 22, 2018 20:15 IST
UPDATED: MAY 22, 2018 21:32 IST
WHO, FAO analysis identified insectivorous bats too as the host
Debate is raging over the bat species that might have served as the reservoir of the Nipah virus in the State as scientists wait for the virological reports to get to the bottom of the issue.
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P.O. Nameer, Head, Centre for Wildlife Studies, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, says the campaign against insectivorous bats is a misguided one. The virus on insectivorous bat was reported way back in 2001 from Malyasia.
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A WHO report also quoted a seroepidemiologic study in Malaysia, which ?implicated four fruit bat species, Pteropus hypomelanus, P. vampyrus, Cynopterus brachyotis, Eonycteris spelaea, and an insectivorous bat, Scotophilus kuhlii.?
The species kuhlii is also found in Kerala, referring to the WHO report, said Sreehari Raman, a researcher in bat at the Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing.
However, Dr. Nameer contended that the species kuhlii was not reported to be roosting in the wells.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/debate-over-host-of-nipah-virus/article23961511.ece
Tracing the origin of Nipah virus is crucial: Expert Tuesday 22 May 2018 05:45 PM IST by Dr George M Varghese
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Read more at:
https://english.manoramaonline.com/...g-origin-nipah-virus-rare-disease-kerala.html
Rs 20 lakh for children, job for husband of Kerala nurse who died of Nipah virus
Kerala government says outbreak has been curtailed through timely intervention, with no fresh cases being reported from affected areas in the last 24 hours.
INDIA Updated: May 23, 2018 14:45 IST
Ramesh Babu
Hindustan Times, Kozhikkode
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Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said this after his cabinet reviewed the situation in northern Kerala on Wednesday. While the official toll of the Nipah outbreak in the state has touched 11, unconfirmed reports put the number at 15.
Meanwhile, state authorities maintained that the virus has been effectively contained, with no fresh cases being reported from affected areas in the last 24 hours. Health minister KK Shailaja told mediapersons that timely intervention has curtailed the damage to an extent, although the worst-hit areas are likely to be on high alert for some more time. She also expressed satisfaction with the help extended by the central government.
?No fresh case has been reported from the districts of Kozhikode and Malappuram. We have effectively contained the scourge. The central team has advised us to provide Ribavirin tablets to the affected,? she said.
The National Virology Institute in Pune had confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus in 12 people, and samples of 18 more with the same symptoms are being tested. Health officials said that as the incubation period of the virus is anywhere between 4-18 days, they will continue to monitor everybody who may have come into contact with the deceased. At least 19 persons have been placed under observation, and another 30 quarantined in their dwellings.
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...-to-husband/story-RMXPlY8NqycIbydsDRoB4M.html
