The death toll due to Nipah rose to 11 in Kerala, with one more person succumbing to the deadly virus here this morning.

The deceased, V Moosa (61), had been battling for life since the past few days in a private hospital here and was on ventilator support, Kozhikode district medical officer, Dr Jayasree E, told reporters.

About 160 samples have been sent for testing at the virology institute and 13 cases have been found to be positive, she said.

Of the 13 confirmed cases, 11 people have died so far.

The official further said confirmation is awaited with regard to one more death in Kozhikode.

This is the fourth death in Moosa's family.Moosa's sons Mohammed Saliah (28), Mohammed Sadiq (26) and a relative Mariumma had died earlier.

While two of the deaths have been confirmed due to Nipah, the blood samples of one of his sons had not been tested for the virus, sources said.

Nurse Lini Puthussery, who had initially treated members of Moosa's family who had been affected at Perambra Taluk hospital in the district, also died after being infected by the virus.

The state government has also issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur.

"Travelling to any part of Kerala is safe. However, if travellers wish to be extra cautious, they may avoid the four districts," Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan said.

The government has also called for an all-party meeting at Kozhikode on&nbsp;May 25&nbsp;to discuss the issue.

Most of the deaths reported are from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts from where 11 deaths have now been reported and 18 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, including one in Wayanad.

Isolation wards have also been set up in Thalassery government hospital in Kannur, according to media reports.

In Kozhikode, from where seven deaths have been reported, District Collector U V Jose has ordered temporary stoppage of all training programmes and summer camps in affected areas such as Changaroth, Koorachund, Kottur, Cheruvannur, Chekyad, Chakkittapara and Olavanna.

The anganwadis in these regions too have been asked to close down to avoid spread of the virus among children.

However, no decision has been taken yet on reopening of schools after the summer vacation.

The administration is hoping that the situation will be under control by the time schools reopen after a week.

In neighbouring Malappuram, where three persons have died due to the virus, orders have been issued in four panchayats to stop Anganwadi classes for the time being.

A crisis management group has been constituted to coordinate the response of government agencies following the deaths in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.

An expert team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), including its director, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh and Head of Epidemiology, Dr S K Jain, and a high-level team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are camping in Kerala to take stock of the situation.

Surveillance has been increased in all districts.

The outbreak of the virus infection, which is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans, is suspected to be from an unused well which was infested with bats.

The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.&nbsp;

The deceased, V Moosa, 61, had been battling for his life for the past few days and was on ventilator support, Kozhikode district medical officer, Dr Jayasree E, told reporters

The death toll due to Nipah rose to 11 in Kerala, with one more person succumbing to the deadly virus here this morning. The deceased, V Moosa (61), had been battling for life since the past few days in a private hospital here and was on ventilator support, Kozhikode district medical officer, Dr Jayasree E, told reporters. About 160 samples have been sent for testing at the virology institute and 13 cases have been found to be positive, she said. Of the 13 confirmed cases, 11 people have died so far. The official further said confirmation is awaited with regard to one more death in Kozhikode. This is the fourth death in Moosa's family.Moosa's sons Mohammed Saliah (28), Mohammed Sadiq (26) and a relative Mariumma had died earlier. While two of the deaths have been confirmed due to Nipah, the blood samples of one of his sons had not been tested for the virus, sources said. Nurse Lini Puthussery, who had initially treated members of Moosa's family who had been affected at Perambra Taluk hospital in the district, also died after being infected by the virus. The state government has also issued an advisory, asking travellers to avoid visiting the four districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur. "Travelling to any part of Kerala is safe. However, if travellers wish to be extra cautious, they may avoid the four districts," Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan said. The government has also called for an all-party meeting at Kozhikode on May 25 to discuss the issue. Most of the deaths reported are from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts from where 11 deaths have now been reported and 18 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, including one in Wayanad. Isolation wards have also been set up in Thalassery government hospital in Kannur, according to media reports. In Kozhikode, from where seven deaths have been reported, District Collector U V Jose has ordered temporary stoppage of all training programmes and summer camps in affected areas such as Changaroth, Koorachund, Kottur, Cheruvannur, Chekyad, Chakkittapara and Olavanna. The anganwadis in these regions too have been asked to close down to avoid spread of the virus among children. However, no decision has been taken yet on reopening of schools after the summer vacation. The administration is hoping that the situation will be under control by the time schools reopen after a week. In neighbouring Malappuram, where three persons have died due to the virus, orders have been issued in four panchayats to stop Anganwadi classes for the time being. A crisis management group has been constituted to coordinate the response of government agencies following the deaths in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. An expert team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), including its director, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh and Head of Epidemiology, Dr S K Jain, and a high-level team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are camping in Kerala to take stock of the situation. Surveillance has been increased in all districts. The outbreak of the virus infection, which is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans, is suspected to be from an unused well which was infested with bats. The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.

Nipah virus claims one more life in Kerala, death toll now at 11

Cricket pitches need to be more bowler-friendly if the rising imbalance between bat and ball is to be addressed, Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar has said. 
 
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) world cricket committee on Tuesday recommended limitations on the thickness and depth of bats amid concerns that the sport has tilted heavily in favour of the batsmen in recent years.&nbsp;A report commissioned by the MCC, the guardian of the game&#39;s laws, in 2014 found the thickness of bats had marginally increased in the last century and that edges had broadened by 300 per cent, meaning even mistimed shots could still find the boundary. 
 
Tendulkar, who quit international cricket in 2013 as the game&#39;s most prolific batsman both in tests and the 50-over format, demanded more assistance for the bowlers from the playing surface. 
 
&quot;The wickets need to change; they need to be more helpful for bowlers,&quot; Tendulkar said.&nbsp;&quot;In T20s, the greatest of bowlers are being reverse-swept. Three-hundred is no longer competitive in ODIs.&nbsp;So there should be at least one format where bowlers have a better chance of executing their skills and making it more interesting for spectators.&nbsp;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s got much to do with bats, but I&#39;m sure people on the (relevant) panel will be able to look into it.&quot; 
 
Tendulkar&#39;s views echoed the sentiments of Australian opener David Warner who said last week that flat pitches rather than bats with thicker edges are the reason batsmen have the upper hand in test cricket. 
 
Tendulkar was part of the panel that recommended Anil Kumble for the India coach&#39;s job and he expects the team to benefit from the vast experience of the former leg-spinner. 
 
&quot;A fabulous player, a hard competitor and will not make any compromises on the field,&quot; Tendulkar told ESPNcricinfo. &quot;He will be out there to win each and every moment.&nbsp;He played for almost 20 years, so there is plenty to share. I&#39;ll just tell the players to grasp as much information from Anil as possible.&quot; 
 
Kumble, who came out to bowl with a bandaged jaw in a 2002 Antigua test, can also teach the players how to handle adversity, said Tendulkar. 
 
&quot;There are always big, crunch moments in any match and how to approach those moments is important,&quot; Tendulkar said.&nbsp;&quot;In sport, over a period of time what you learn is not every day you are successful, sometimes you have to face failures.&nbsp;It is all about being a tough character and be able to stand back on your feet again and to compete the next day. Every day is a fresh day, new beginning. That is something I feel Anil will teach them.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Marylebone Cricket Club world cricket committee recommended limitations on thickness and depth of bats which give upper hand to batsmen

Cricket pitches need to be more bowler-friendly if the rising imbalance between bat and ball is to be addressed, Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar has said. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) world cricket committee on Tuesday recommended limitations on the thickness and depth of bats amid concerns that the sport has tilted heavily in favour of the batsmen in recent years. A report commissioned by the MCC, the guardian of the game's laws, in 2014 found the thickness of bats had marginally increased in the last century and that edges had broadened by 300 per cent, meaning even mistimed shots could still find the boundary. Tendulkar, who quit international cricket in 2013 as the game's most prolific batsman both in tests and the 50-over format, demanded more assistance for the bowlers from the playing surface. "The wickets need to change; they need to be more helpful for bowlers," Tendulkar said. "In T20s, the greatest of bowlers are being reverse-swept. Three-hundred is no longer competitive in ODIs. So there should be at least one format where bowlers have a better chance of executing their skills and making it more interesting for spectators. I don't think it's got much to do with bats, but I'm sure people on the (relevant) panel will be able to look into it." Tendulkar's views echoed the sentiments of Australian opener David Warner who said last week that flat pitches rather than bats with thicker edges are the reason batsmen have the upper hand in test cricket. Tendulkar was part of the panel that recommended Anil Kumble for the India coach's job and he expects the team to benefit from the vast experience of the former leg-spinner. "A fabulous player, a hard competitor and will not make any compromises on the field," Tendulkar told ESPNcricinfo. "He will be out there to win each and every moment. He played for almost 20 years, so there is plenty to share. I'll just tell the players to grasp as much information from Anil as possible." Kumble, who came out to bowl with a bandaged jaw in a 2002 Antigua test, can also teach the players how to handle adversity, said Tendulkar. "There are always big, crunch moments in any match and how to approach those moments is important," Tendulkar said. "In sport, over a period of time what you learn is not every day you are successful, sometimes you have to face failures. It is all about being a tough character and be able to stand back on your feet again and to compete the next day. Every day is a fresh day, new beginning. That is something I feel Anil will teach them." (Reuters)

Former Indian cricketer Tendulkar calls for bowler-friendly pitches

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