4 months ago
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Amid concerns implicit a imaginable Nipah microorganism threat, bats astatine Kolkata’s Alipore Zoo are undergoing RT-PCR investigating to regularisation retired infection, an authoritative said connected Saturday (January 24, 2026).
A squad from the National Institute of Medical Research collected humor and swab samples from bats astatine the zoo for implicit 2 days and near soon aft completing the process, a elder authoritative of the State Forest Department said.
“The squad collected swab samples from bats. They person followed each the protocols during the process,” Alipore Zoo Director Tripti Sah said.
According to a Forest Department official, illustration postulation astatine the zoo was carried retired connected Thursday (January 22, 2026) and Friday (January 23, 2026) and completed earlier the zoo gates were opened to visitors astatine 9 a.m.
Two wellness workers astatine a backstage infirmary astatine Barasat successful North 24 Parganas territory had tested affirmative for Nipah microorganism this month.
Nipah microorganism is simply a notifiable disease, requiring contiguous reporting to the Union government.
Incidentally, arsenic portion of efforts to hint the imaginable root of the Nipah virus, RT-PCR tests are being conducted connected bats crossed assorted parts of West Bengal.
Samples person precocious been collected from bat populations successful Madhyamgram, Barasat and Basirhat. Alipore Zoo remains the lone installation successful Kolkata that houses a bat enclosure, prompting wellness authorities to see it successful the surveillance drive.
The investigating is being carried retired jointly by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) nether the supervision of the Health Department, with logistical enactment from the Forest Department.
‘Due process followed’
West Bengal Chief Wildlife Warden Sandeep Sundriyal said the process was conducted pursuing owed procedure.
“Catching bats necessitate anterior support from the Forest Department. The Health Department sought approval, which we granted,” Mr. Sundriyal said.
“Expert teams are visiting areas wherever bats are contiguous crossed the State and collecting samples. The aforesaid process was followed astatine Alipore Zoo,” helium said.
The serviceman added that precautionary measures were already successful spot astatine the zoo. The zoo authorities person taken precocious preventive steps. There is nary crushed for contiguous panic,” helium said.
Test results are expected successful the coming days, a elder authoritative of the Health Department said.
“Whether the bats astatine Alipore Zoo are wholly harmless volition beryllium known aft the trial reports arrive,” a Health Department root said.
Meanwhile, the adept squad is scheduled to sojourn Nadia territory connected Saturday (January 24, 2026) to cod bat samples arsenic portion of the ongoing Statewide Nipah surveillance exercise.
