New Delhi, Jun 9 (IANS): Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday that no new cases of Nipah virus have been reported in Kerala, saying that the condition of the patients who tested positive for the virus was improving.

"As on today, 8 patients are there in the isolation ward out of which 7 have tested negative for Nipah virus. The sample of the 8th patient is being tested in the Point of Care (POC) lab," the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry said that four other patients from the isolation ward were discharged on Saturday as their clinical condition improved.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune has collected three blood samples from pigs and about 30 samples from bats from Thodupuzha in Idukki district of Kerala.

Harsh Vardhan is personally reviewing and monitoring the status of the Nipah virus cases and has directed senior officers of the Ministry to check the situation with the Kerala government.