The fluid samples of a soldier, who died in Kolkata, days after returning from his hometown in Kerala, have tested "negative" for Nipah virus infection, a defence official said today. The Command Hospital at Kolkata had sent Seenu Prasad's fluid samples to National Institute of Virology, Pune, for the medical test, the official said.

Seenu Prasad, posted at Army's Eastern Command Headquarters Fort William, had gone to his hometown in Kerala on a month's leave. He came back on May 13. Upon his return, his deteriorating health prompted the authorities to admit him to Command Hospital on May 20. The 27-year-old soldier passed away five days later.

The soldier’s death had caused a major alarm in the state of West Bengal. With the test results coming out negative, the residents can heave a sigh of relief. The state had already seen two deadly outbreaks, one in 2001 and 2007, which claimed 50 lives.

Earlier, Dr. Ajay K Chakraborty dismissed rumours that there were other suspected cases of Nipah in the state. He assured the public that the three people suspected of suffering from Nipah-induced fever were isolated and their blood samples were tested. In all the three cases, Nipah has been ruled out.

(With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2018 09:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).