SEREMBAN, Malaysia, Mon. -- Initial investigations into the death of a livestock farm assistant at Bukit Pelandok on Jan 29 have ruled out Nipah virus as the cause of death as tests indicated it was caused by Japanese encephalitis.

The Health and Veterinary Services departments are running further tests on blood samples taken from goats at the farm where the dead man, R. Kathirasen, 22, had been working.

Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Mohd Nordin Mohd Noor said the tests were still inconclusive as the investigators would also need to re-affirm that the death was not Nipah-related.

"We do not know everything about the Nipah virus, which has been known to be carried by pigs, so we will have to look into every possibility.

"For now, we can ascertain from initial findings on the victim's death that it is not Nipah-related, based on our knowledge of the virus."

Asked if it was necessary to evacuate the farm's occupants and nearby residents, Dr Mohd Nordin said the Health Department would ascertain the social considerations in the case following the conclusion of its tests.

He said the investigators also could not confirm if the victim's death was caused by the residual effects of the Nipah virus contracted by him during the Nipah outbreak at Bukit Pelandok in 1999.

"We instructed our officers to get blood samples from the livestock animals when we heard of Kathirasen's death," he added.

He said livestock farmers and villagers who came across JE-like sicknesses among their livestock or people, should immediately report to the relevant authorities.

"In Kathirasen's case, I have instructed the State Veterinary Services Department to carry out investigations at the farm and the surrounding area to determine if there is really a cause for concern."

Meanwhile, the owner of the affected farm, P. Thangasamy, said officers from the department came at 8.30am today to collect blood samples from his goats.

Meanwhile, two experts from the Department of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, came to Bukit Pelandok to trace former JE victims who failed to undergo follow-up checks at government
hospitals.

This followed the death of a JE victim, whose identity was not available, at Bukit Pelandok last week.

One of the experts, Prof C.T. Tan said it was possible for people exposed to the Nipah virus to suffer from residual effects.

Source: New Straits Times