Bhopal: The Nipah virus scare has gripped Guna district in Madhya Pradesh after hundreds of bats were found dead on the National Fertilisers Limited (NFL) campus over the last few days.
Initially, there were reports that about 2,500 were dead, but the district administration, in the evening, claimed the death toll was only about 250.
Veterinary physician from Guna Dr BS Dhakrey said hundreds of bats were found dead on the NFL premises over the past week.
“We have collected samples from the spot and have sent them to the veterinary laboratory in Bhopal,” said Dr Dhakrey, adding prima facie it seemed the deaths were caused by heat stroke.
Chief Medical and Health Officer of Guna Dr PS Bunkar said there was no evidence of Nipah virus locally, but as a precautionary note, an alert has been sounded in the area in view of the situation in Kerala.
An NFL officer said the bats started dropping dead over the last few days and by Thursday, hundreds of them were found lying scattered in the complex, home to many families. The officer said soon after, the municipality and health department were informed. Later, a team from the forest department also visited the spot.
The company is also planning to send teams of physicians and para-medical staff to nearby 10 villages to conduct health checks. Guna Collector Bhaskar Lakshkar told News18 that the deaths were perhaps due to excessive heat, adding there was no need to panic.
Comments
0 comment