Nipah virus: DMO Dr V Jayashree seal faked in social media
A Muvattupuzha native booked for spreading hoax messages.
KOZHIKODE: Few days back the social media was hit with fake messages confirming the source of Nipah virus in chicken. As a counter to this, from Monday onwards a notice with the seal of the District Health Department started circulating in social media, which says that the news is fake and the allegations are baseless.
The District Health Department officials reported this notice as hoax and the seal of District Medical Officer is used to justify the fake news. According to the officials, the seal of Medical department has been misused and the accused behind the hoax will be booked under criminal offences, even though the department has released a circular claiming the virus is not generated from chicken.
"It is a grave concern that the documents are manipulated", said district medical officer (DMO) Dr V Jayashree. Nowhere we have claimed that the virus is from the chicken and due to this fake news we are getting complaints from the Tamil Nadu medical department seeking an explanation for this fake news. The release has been circulated for the media, but the one which is been used in the social media is not from our department and hence we claims that the seal is hoaxed.The Tamil Nadu Government says that the trading of chicken has been reduced to half due to the spreading of this fake news, she further added.
"This is festival season and considered as the peak business time but due to these rumors the sales have considerably gone down", said Rafeeq Moidheen, member of Kerala Chicken Dealers Association. It is said that the chicken that are coming from Tamil Nadu spreads virus, which when entered to a human body will develop blister- like rashes on the skin. All these rumours are keeping away customers, hence immediately action must be taken to stop these baseless allegations.
Case against one for hoax
Police registered a case against P.K. Sunilkumar, 28 a native of Muvattupuzha, on Tuesday, in connection with spreading hoax messages in social networking sites saying that Nipah virus was identified in broiler chicken in Kozhikode. The case was registered on directions of District Superintendent of Police Siva Vikram G. The mobile number that spread the message through WhatsApp groups has helped to identify the accused, Kannur town sub inspector Sreejith Koderi said.
