Two cases of Nipah virus disease were identified on January 11 at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), ICMR, AIIMS Kalyani in West Bengal. The affected individuals, both nurses, are currently receiving treatment at a private hospital. State authorities confirmed that the health department is closely monitoring the situation and working to trace individuals who had contact with the affected nurses.
Both nurses, who work at a hospital in Barasat, North 24 Parganas, are now hospitalized in the intensive care unit of a private facility. Efforts to locate individuals who had contact with them are focused on Nadia, East Burdwan, and North 24 Parganas districts. The Union Health Secretary has engaged with state officials to assess the situation promptly and ensure coordinated action.
A national joint outbreak response team, comprising experts from various institutions, has been dispatched to aid the state government in containment and public health response measures. Guidelines on Nipah Virus Disease have been shared with the State Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) unit, and the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre in Delhi has been activated for national coordination.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda has reached out to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, offering full support from the Union government. Nadda also assured the Chief Minister of the government’s commitment to providing necessary assistance in managing the situation.
