Nipah Mystery Deepens, Fruit Bats Not The Reason Behind Spread Of The Deadly Virus In Kerala

The deadly Nipah Virus outbreak in Kerala which has claimed 12 lives so far many not have been caused by fruit bats, experts have said.

After the blood and serum samples of 21 bats was tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal, this claim has turned out to be negative.

AFP

The samples from other animals like cow, goat, rabbit, dog and cat which were also sent for testing also turned out to be negative, indicating that the virus has not spread to animals in the area, where the deaths have been reported.

Suspicion of fruit bats spreading the virus started making rounds due to the past history of the virus outbreak in countries like Malaysia and Bangladesh. The presence of bats in the well of the Moosa family, which lost four members to the virus had made everyone suspect the mammal of spreading the virus.

PTI

There are also reports that Mohamed Sabith, the first member of the family to die of Nipah was sent back home from Saudi Arabia after falling ill. Some locals had claimed that he had traveled to Malaysia, where Nipah was first reported. The family is yet to confirm this, but said he was active in plumbing work till a day before showing acute fever symptoms.

Prominent bat biologist, Dr CH Srinivasulu of Osmania University, said fruit bat is a host to Nipah virus, but role of fruit bats in the spread of disease has been exaggerated.

"Usually, most of the zoonotic diseases are transmitted by a bite by animals to the first person who gets infected. There is a lot of negative propaganda stating that bats are responsible for Nipah virus deaths. Unless scientifically proven as to how the first infection happened, it is premature to conclude that it is being spread by fruit bats," Dr Srinivasulu told The Times of India.

AFP

Nameer PO, a Kerala-based bat biologist, quoting Paul Racey, a world authority on the bats and the Chair, Bat Specialist Group, IUCN said, there are recorded incidents in the past where bats have spread the infection to pigs.