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KOZHIKODE: Lini (31), the nurse at Perambra Taluk Hospital who died on Monday after possibly getting exposed to the deadly virus while tending to a Nipah virus infected patient, died without even getting a chance to bid adieu to her loved ones, including her two kids and husband.With Lini’s death, the toll has now gone up to 10. On Sunday, the toll had risen to nine with the death of six more persons who had shown symptoms of the disease. Of this, two deaths were reported from Kozhikode and four from Malappuram district.The stamp of sacrifice was there at her funeral, too. Her family from Chembanoda region near Peruvannamuzhi allowed the health department to cremate at an electric crematorium in the city without taking the body home to avoid the spread of the virus. “In her last days, she realised she had contacted a possibly-fatal infection after the youth from Changaroth — whom she had attended to in the initial stages — died. She lived to help others and her death has become a sacrifice,” said her maternal uncle V Balan.Her two children, Sidharth (5) and Rithul (2), couldn’t give their mother one last kiss. On hearing that Lini was sick, her husband Sajeesh had come home from the Gulf two days ago.Rajeev Sadanandan, additional chief secretary, department of health & family welfare, said the virus was confirmed in tests conducted at a Pune institute on samples of the three deceased from a family at Changaroth. He said the department has not been able to ascertain the extent of the spread of the disease as the virus has an incubation period of four to 18 days. Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran condoled her death and shared on Facebook the final letter she wrote to her husband who was in the Gulf."I don’t think I’ll be able to meet you. Please look after our children. Take them with you to the Gulf; don't be all alone like our father, please.” Lini, who was working as nurse at a private hospital in Kozhikode was appointed to Perambra Taluk Hospital last September on a contract basis."Lini had told me that she had attended to a patient from Changaroth who had initially sought treatment for fever at Perambra hospital and after the news of the patient’s death at a Kozhikode hospital, she was so sad and had said that the she had felt that the symptoms shown by the patient was unusual,” Avalam Hameed, a neighbour of Lini said.United Nurses Association (UNA) state vice president Suneesh AP said that Lini had passed away in her line of duty and that the government should step in to offer help to the family. "UNA representatives will visit the house of Lina soon and would provide our support. The government too should provide aid to the family,” he added.The staff of the Perambra Taluk hospital came to work on Monday wearing black badges to mourn her demise.