4 months ago
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Two nurses affected by the Nipah microorganism continue to beryllium successful a captious authorities successful West Bengal. One of them has slipped into a coma, and the different is connected ventilator enactment astatine a backstage infirmary successful Barasat, wherever they had been working.
A doc and a caregiver who came into interaction with them person been hospitalised aft they developed Nipah symptoms, portion respective others are being screened.
Samples of the 2 nurses were initially tested astatine the All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Kalyani connected Sunday (January 11, 2026). Sources told The Hindu on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) that the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, had reconfirmed their infection.
The doc and caregiver who showed Nipah symptoms were admitted to the Infectious Diseases and Beleghata General Hospital successful Kolkata connected Wednesday. Their samples are being sent for Nipah tests.
The root of the outbreak is not yet known.
Contact tracing on
So far, implicit 120 radical who came into interaction with the 2 nurses person been advised to isolate themselves. These see infirmary staff, household members, and ambulance drivers. Samples from immoderate of the contacts person been sent for testing. Three co-workers of the nurses person besides been taken disconnected work for now. Contact tracing is being done actively crossed the 3 districts of North 24 Parganas, Bardhaman, and Nadia.
“She came location due to the fact that of her acold and fever. We had nary thought what other it could person been. She is our family. Of course, we lived together as families do,” a comparative of 1 of the nurses told mediapersons.
Nipah is simply a zoonotic disease, which causes influenza-like symptoms including fever, musculus pain, sore throat, and respiratory problems. In cases of terrible attack, it tin besides origin convulsions and respiratory distress. The microorganism tin sometimes beryllium carried by pigs.
The West Bengal authorities has launched helpline numbers — 03323330180, 9874708858, 9836046212 — for nationalist queries. The authorities has advised people not to panic but stay alert and maintain proper hygiene.
