Kozhikode : Teams from the Animal Husbandry Department descended on Chathamangalam in Kozhikode in a bid to track the source of Nipah virus that killed 12-year-old in the panchayat. Fluid samples were collected from goat at the deceased boy’s house.
A few days before the boy became infected, a goat at his house had died of a strange illness akin to diarrhea. The ill-fated boy looked after the goat, hence the suspicion if the virus emanated from livestock. Samples were collected from other goats and animals at the house.
The boy is said to have consumed rambutan fruit too. The fruit samples were collected. Also, there are large number of bats in the area prompting decision by authorities to capture some for random testing. Wild boars are also a frequent occurrence hence, permission will be sought from the forest department to catch a few and for the purpose of testing.
