Bats in state not infected, says Secy

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 26

There was no information of the Nipah virus spread from any other part of the country except two districts of Kerela, said Additional Chief Secretary, Health, BK Agarwal at a meeting here on Saturday.

Officials of Health, Animal husbandry, Forest and Horticulture Department were present at the meeting chaired by Agarwal. He said only fruit bats (flying fox) had been found carrying this virus. These types of bats were found in the coastal regions. Therefore, there was no possibility of the virus in the bats found in Himachal Pradesh.

The bats reported to have died in the state were not due to the virus. Agarwal said a few days back, samples from dead bats in Sirmaur were collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing and all samples were reported negative for the Virus.

He advised people not to panic. All medical colleges were prepared to deal with the situation.

Blood samples negative 

Solan: Lalit Jain, Deputy Commissioner, Sirmaur, on Saturday said the blood samples of eight bats which were found dead in a school at Barmapapri, have been tested negative for nipah virus at a national-level Pune-based lab. He said the blood samples had been sent to the lab by the officials of the Forest Department. He said all hospitals in the district were well equipped to handle cases. He urged the people to take precaution.