No trace of Nipah virus in HP, no need to panic: Officer

Shimla: There has been no information about the spread of Nipah virus beyond two districts of Kerala, Himachal Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary of Health B K Aggarwal said here today and appealed to the residents of the hilly state not to panic.

Aggarwal held a meeting with officers of Health, Animal Husbandry, Forest and Horticulture departments on the issue today.

Reports of dead bats being found on the premises of a government school in Himachal Pradesh created panic in the state.

The samples from bats found dead in Himachal Pradesh, which were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, have been found negative, the officer said.

He advised the people not to panic about the Nipah virus, and said all medical colleges in the state were prepared to deal with any eventuality.