4 months ago
1
The 2 patients who were suspected of being infected by Nipah virus in North 24 Parganas territory of West Bengal remained successful a captious authorities on Tuesday (January 13, 2026). They are undergoing attraction astatine a backstage healthcare installation in Barasat city, the aforesaid infirmary where both patients worked.
Sources told The Hindu on Tuesday (January 13, 2026) that 1 of the patients has tested affirmative for Nipah, and the study for the different diligent is awaited. The 2 showed Nipah-like symptoms erstwhile their samples were tested astatine the All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Kalyani. The samples were past sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for reconfirmation.
One of the patients has reportedly gone into a coma, portion the different idiosyncratic remained in ventilator support connected Tuesday (January 13, 2026). They are being treated successful isolation. Reportedly, both patients were on duty in the infirmary for the past fewer days. They had a fever during these days aft which they were admitted.
Both backstage and nationalist hospitals successful West Bengal are preparing for immoderate adverse emergence successful the fig of cases. The IDBGH (Infectious Diseases and Beleghata General Hospital) successful Kolkata has prepared a unit for Nipah microorganism patients, officials said connected Tuesday. An adept committee has been formed, helpline numbers person been launched, and a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been developed for each hospitals. Medical facilities are required to follow the SOP to contain the microorganism and halt its spread.
“Do not panic but enactment alert. We person already started interaction tracing and an SOP has been developed and deployed,” West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty had said connected Monday (January 12, 2026).
Contact tracing has already begun across 3 districts successful North 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman, and Nadia, because the 2 patients had returned from Bardhaman’s Katwa municipality recently. They had travelled for idiosyncratic enactment and had nary past of travelling extracurricular the State. A way representation of the 2 patients will be traced to find each superior and secondary interaction persons.
Many who person travel successful interaction with the 2 patients have also been isolated.
The West Bengal authorities volition clasp a high-level gathering with elder doctors connected Tuesday evening to take stock of the concern and make further plans of action.
The State authorities has besides launched 3 helpline numbers — 03323330180, 9874708858, 9836046212 — for nationalist queries.
Late connected Monday (January 12, 2026) night, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda besides assured assistance to the West Bengal authorities to help contain the virus and promised to connection technical, logistical and operational enactment to the State. “This is simply a superior zoonotic illness which tin dispersed rapidly that is wherefore to incorporate it we person started contiguous coordinated action.”
The Centre has already deployed the nationalist associated outbreak effect squad connected Monday (January 12, 2026). The squad includes experts from the All India Institute of Health and Public Hygiene, Kolkata; National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai; AIIMS-Kalyani; and the Department of Wildlife nether the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Nipah virus
Nipah microorganism is simply a bat-borne illness but tin besides dispersed done pigs. The incubation period of the microorganism is betwixt 4-14 days. Symptoms are very similar to influenza — fever, musculus pain, sore throat, and respiratory problems. Extreme cases tin person terrible respiratory distress and tin besides pb to convulsions.
Patients tin stay asymptomatic carriers of the virus. Hence, doctors are seeking extensive interaction tracing of the 2 patients.
Currently, determination are nary vaccines for this disease. But patients are quarantined and fixed extended attraction nether isolation.
