A preliminary report by the Central government suggested that bats may not be the reason behind the outbreak of the Nipah virus. A team of the department of Animal Husbandry (please check, the exact name, because central government is never department, always ministry) visited Changaroth in Kozhikode where three persons of a family died.
According to the team, the bats which were found in the premises of the family were not fruit bats, which is primary host of the Nipah virus. The team is likely to submit a detailed report on May 25.
The death toll continued to rise as the virus claimed 11 lives till now and 12 persons being treated at hospitals.
Among those admitted with the Nipah virus was found in 12 samples. Health minister of Kerala, K.K. Shylaja, said the virus had not spread much, and only those who came in direct contact with the affected persons had been diagnosed with the virus. The Central team too urged people not to panic.