KOZHIKODE: Even as the incidence of fresh cases of Nipah virus came down, a woman under treatment at the
Kozhikode Medical College hospital passed away on Saturday, taking the death toll in
Kerala to 13, officials said.
A majority of the deaths have been reported from Kozhikode, while others were in the nearby
Malappuram district. Close to 200 patients in these two districts are being treated in hospitals, with 26 under observation and three who have tested positive under intensive treatment.
Five medical professionals are being sent to Delhi for an intensive course at the Safdarjung Hospital to learn the treatment protocols. Nipah virus is transmitted to humans through infected fruit bats, pigs or other Nipah-infected people.
With test results showing that a particular variety of bats, found in and around Kozhikode and mostly at the worst-affected
Perambara town, is not carrying the virus, a special team from Pune is arriving to see how they can take samples from other varieties of bats also found in this district.
A police probe, initiated to find out the travel itinerary of the virus’ first victim Sabith, found out that he never visited
Malaysia but had been in the United Arab Emirates, from where he had returned in October last year.
PTI photo