Bats’ death: State sounds Nipah alert

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 24

The Health Department on Thursday sounded an alert for Nipah virus after over a dozen bats were found dead on the premises of a government school in Nahan a couple of days ago.

So far, no case of Nipah virus has been reported in the state.

Though the Health Department has collected samples and sent these to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, to verify the exact cause of the bats mortality, Health Minister Vipin Parmar convened a meeting of health officials and constituted teams to keep a tab on the development.

He said the CMOs of all districts had been directed to increase surveillance on the virus, considering that thousands of tourists were coming to the state.

All CMOs have to keep a track on the suspected cases, including tourists, who come for treatment at the hospitals, including the IGMC, Shimla, and Government Medical College, Tanda, daily, he added.

Dr Baldev Thakur, Director, Health Services, said the reports from the NIV, Pune, would verify whether the bats died due to the virus or not, he added.