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Two suspected cases of Nipah microorganism were detected astatine the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory astatine AIIMS Kalyani successful West Bengal connected Monday (January 12, 2026). The 2 healthcare workers infected by the microorganism are undergoing treatment, and are reported to beryllium successful “very critical” condition.
Given the superior quality of the Nipah microorganism infection, a zoonotic illness with precocious mortality and imaginable for accelerated spread, the concern is being handled with utmost priority, a elder authoritative of the West Bengal wellness section has said.
State authorities officials said the 2 patients had travelled to Purba Bardhaman connected idiosyncratic work. Contact-tracing is truthful being done crossed North 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman, and Nadia districts. The State authorities has besides launched 3 helpline numbers — 03323330180, 9874708858, 9836046212 — for nationalist queries.
Also read: Kerala learns from erstwhile Nipah outbreaks to premier aboriginal response
A nationalist associated outbreak effect squad has been deployed to enactment the State authorities successful containment and nationalist wellness effect measures, the sources said.
What is the Nipah virus?
Nipah is simply a microorganism named aft Kampung Sungai Nipah, a colony successful Malaysia, wherever it was archetypal discovered successful 1998-99. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Nipah microorganism corruption is simply a zoonosis, that is, a illness transmitted from animals to humans. The microorganism belongs to a genus termed Henipavirus (subfamily Paramyxovirinae). The earthy big of the microorganism is effect bats belonging to the household Pteropodidae. Pigs tin besides enactment arsenic intermediate hosts.
Symptoms of Nipah
The Nipah microorganism exhibits symptoms akin to those of influenza, including fever, musculus pain, sore throat, and respiratory problems. In terrible cases, patients tin make respiratory distress, convulsions, and disorientation owed to inflammation of the brain. Late onset of encephalitis tin besides occur. Sometimes a idiosyncratic tin person an asymptomatic corruption and beryllium a bearer of Nipah and not amusement immoderate symptoms.
How to diagnose Nipah and what are the tests?
The Nipah microorganism is classified arsenic a biosecurity level (BSL) 4 agent, and the tests should beryllium carried retired successful peculiar labs to forestall its spread. Doctors diagnose by investigating the humor to cheque for antibodies, oregon by histopathology- a microscopic survey of tissues, oregon done the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method to look for viral DNA and besides done microorganism isolation. Confirmatory tests see Serum Neutralization Test, ELISA, and RT-PCR.
Currently, determination are nary vaccines for some humans and animals. Intensive supportive attraction is fixed to humans infected by Nipah virus. But patients are quarantined and fixed extended attraction nether isolation.
In India, the erstwhile outbreak of the illness was seen successful Kerala successful August 2025.
What’s the attraction for this?
In 2018, erstwhile Kerala archetypal encountered NiV (which was besides the archetypal ever NiV outbreak successful South India) the lawsuit fatality complaint was 91%, akin to the planetary mortality figures for NiV. Of the 23 identified cases of NiV (including 18 lab-confirmed cases) during May 2-29 of 2018, lone 2 survived the infection.
But with the State experiencing repeated outbreaks, it invested heavy successful monoclonal antibody treatment and antiviral drugs. In 2023, the mortality complaint was brought down to 33%, erstwhile 4 retired of the six identified cases of NiV survived the infection
In the caller outbreak successful 2025, too, the State Health Department had moved rapidly to administer monoclonal antibodies and antivirals, including Remdesivir to the patient.
