Approximately one month following the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed the presence of Nipah antibodies in 12 bat samples collected from Maruthonkara. Health Minister Veena George conveyed the news, stating that she received an email from ICMR confirming the discovery. Her announcement came during a media address in Wayanad, where she had just visited government hospitals.
“The presence of the antibody confirms that the bats were the source of the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode,” she emphasized.
To gather these crucial bat samples, a team from ICMR had ventured into Kozhikode, enlisting the assistance of experts from the animal husbandry department.
Kerala had been on high alert after Kozhikode reported two fatalities resulting from Nipah infection in September. Subsequently, various locations in the district were designated as containment zones, and both the health department and district authorities had vigilantly enforced preventive measures.
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