The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune has detected Nipah virus antibodies (IgG antibodies) in bat samples collected from Kodiyathoor and Thamarassery in Kozhikode district near the panchayat where a Nipah infection was confirmed in August 2021.
- The samples were collected by the NIV as part of the Nipah outbreak investigation.
- A sample belonging to the Pteropus species, collected from Thamarassery, was found to have Nipah antibodies, while the same was detected in another sample from the Rousettus species collected from Kodiyathoor.
What are IgG antibodies?
- Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are found in all body fluids. They are the smallest but most common antibody (75% to 80%) of all the antibodies in the body.
- IgG antibodies are very important in fighting bacterial and viral infections.
Bat species in India
- According to the batcon.org, India has at least 109 bat species. This includes one of the largest in the world, the Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus); one of the most colorful, the orange and black painted bat (Kerivoula picta); and one of the rarest, Salim Alis fruit bat (Latidens salimalii).
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