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.
