Nipah case: 15 more contacts test negative in Kerala

KOZHIKODE: Fifteen more close contacts of the 12-year-boy from Chathamangalam who had succumbed to Nipah on Sunday tested negative on Friday in the tests conducted at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital laboratory.
Health minister Veena George said that with this, 88 contacts of the boy have tested negative so far.
The minister said that samples of two contacts have been sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology, Pune and the results are awaited.
Meanwhile, a team from National Institute of Virology, Pune along with officials from state forest department began steps to capture bats on Friday evening by spreading nets in a bat habitat at Kuttiyodu in Kodiyathur panchayat.
Taking samples from live bats is crucial to identify the source of Nipah infection. The area where nets have been spread is part of the 3km containment zone around the house of the deceased boy which is a major bat habitat.
Local residents said that hundreds of bats roost at the trees in the area which is near the banks of Iruvanji river.
The nets were spread at around 7pm on Friday and officials who are part of the team are hopeful of collecting the trapped bats on Saturday morning.
The team from NIV, Pune is led by Dr Mangesh Gokhale while forest department veterinary surgeons Dr Arun Zachariah and Dr Arun Sathyan are also part of the efforts.