Bats not to be blamed for Nipah virus, experts say

The deadly Nipah Virus outbreak in Kerala, India 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. 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. 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.