Malappuram: As per preliminary findings, the source to Nipah that killed the 14-year-old teen is identified as hog plum(ambazhanga) the child ate, plucked from a tree by the stream where he went to bathe.
The teen is the only person who consumed ambazhanga in his family. Based on the information, health officials visited the spot and confirmed presence of bats in the area. The Health Minister said the child did not go outside the district from the point of likely infection. More confirmations are being sought, she added.
Meanwhile, a team of experts from virology institute in Pune has arrived at Manjeri to set up mobile lab for testing Nipah in the region.
Bat Surveillance Team Arrives
A special team for surveillance of bats in Pandikkad region has arrived from National Institute of Virology(NIV), Pune. It is headed by Dr. Balasubramanian and has reached Malappuram. A study known as partial genomic sequencing will be conducted on bats in the area. A surveillance camera too is being installed for the purpose. Another team from the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) too arrived on Monday.
Animals In The Area Sampled
The District Animal Protection Department collected random samples from domestic animals inside 1 km radius to the deceased child’s house in Chemparassery.
1200 poultry birds including 10 quails(kada), 82 cows, 98 goats, 11 buffaloes, 20 cats and 5 dogs made up for the total animals in the area. 10 percent of them were sampled – 10 coms, 14 goats, one each of dog, cat and buffalo. The collected samples will be sent to National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal.
