Five cases of West Nile fever confirmed in Kerala; all infected healthy
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): Five cases of West Nile fever have been confirmed in the north Kerala district of Kozhikode, health officials said on Tuesday.
The infected persons, which included children, are all fine now and back at their homes with no new cases reported from the areas they live in, an official of the district surveillance team said.
He also said that presently there was one person who is suspected of suffering from the vector-borne infection and is undergoing treatment.
The official said that the samples of those who exhibited symptoms of the disease and had undergone treatment were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune as a routine exercise.
"The results came back now and indicated that they were suffering from West Nile fever. They are all better now," he said.
The West Nile fever is spread by the Culex species of mosquitoes. It was first detected in 1937 in Uganda. The fever was first detected in Kerala in 2011 and a six-year-old boy from Malappuram died due to the fever in 2019.
Thereafter, in May 2022, a 47-year-old man died of the fever in Thrissur district.
The West Nile virus can cause a fatal neurological disease in humans but most of those infected may not show any symptoms. It is mainly transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes, according to the state health department.
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Karnataka: College student dies by suicide in Dharwad, 3 policemen suspended
Dharwad (Karnataka) (PTI): A college student allegedly died by suicide here, following which three policemen were suspended over allegations of harassment linked to his death by the victim's family.
Aditya Myageri, a BSc student at a private college here, was among 18 students detained by the Vidyagiri police on April 25 during an anti-drug drive, police said on Wednesday.
He hailed from Belur village in Bagalkot district, but was staying with his friends at a rented accommodation in Girinagar area of Dharwad city, police said.
Among the 18 students tested, Aditya was among the 10 who had tested negative for ganja consumption and was subsequently released.
Some of his roommates, however, tested positive.
According to police, Aditya's family alleged that despite testing negative, he was harassed by police. They also claimed some policemen demanded Rs 2,000 to settle the matter and threatened legal action if he failed to pay.
He had called his mother asking for money, but she could not arrange it immediately, the family claimed.
On Monday night, Aditya allegedly died by suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan at his rented accommodation, with his family alleging police harassment and pressure over demand for money drove him to the extreme step, a senior police officer said.
Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar told PTI that an unnatural death case has been registered at Vidyagiri police station. Three policemen have been suspended over the allegations, and further investigation is underway.
