Indian health authorities have launched an emergency response following the detection of five confirmed cases of the deadly Nipah virus in West Bengal, close to the state capital, Kolkata.
Officials disclosed that three new infections were identified this week, involving a doctor, a nurse, and another healthcare worker. Two nurses — one male and one female — had earlier tested positive after working at a multispecialty hospital in Barasat, located roughly 15 miles north of Kolkata.
The state’s principal secretary for health and family welfare, Narayan Swaroop Nigam, revealed that one of the infected nurses is in critical condition and currently in a coma. The nurse reportedly developed a high fever and respiratory complications between New Year’s Eve and January 2. Health authorities suspect the infection was contracted while treating a patient with severe respiratory symptoms who later died before laboratory tests could be conducted.
In response to the outbreak, around 180 individuals have been tested so far, while 20 people identified as high-risk contacts have been placed under quarantine as containment efforts are intensified.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease primarily carried by fruit bats, which are widespread across India. The virus can spread from animals to humans and also through direct human-to-human transmission. Infected individuals may experience symptoms ranging from none at all to severe respiratory illness and inflammation of the brain. Common signs include fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat, while severe cases can rapidly progress to encephalitis and coma within 24 to 48 hours.
The disease has a fatality rate estimated between 40 and 75 percent, and there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Due to its high mortality rate and outbreak potential, the World Health Organization has classified Nipah virus as a priority pathogen.
India has recorded Nipah infections almost annually for over two decades, with repeated outbreaks in Kerala, where dozens of lives have been lost since 2018. Health experts advise that the risk of infection can be reduced by avoiding contact with bats and pigs and refraining from consuming raw date palm sap, which may be contaminated by bat secretions.
In response to the outbreak, around 180 individuals have been tested so far, while 20 people identified as high-risk contacts have been placed under quarantine as containment efforts are intensified.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease primarily carried by fruit bats, which are widespread across India. The virus can spread from animals to humans and also through direct human-to-human transmission. Infected individuals may experience symptoms ranging from none at all to severe respiratory illness and inflammation of the brain. Common signs include fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat, while severe cases can rapidly progress to encephalitis and coma within 24 to 48 hours.
The disease has a fatality rate estimated between 40 and 75 percent, and there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Due to its high mortality rate and outbreak potential, the World Health Organization has classified Nipah virus as a priority pathogen.
India has recorded Nipah infections almost annually for over two decades, with repeated outbreaks in Kerala, where dozens of lives have been lost since 2018. Health experts advise that the risk of infection can be reduced by avoiding contact with bats and pigs and refraining from consuming raw date palm sap, which may be contaminated by bat secretions.
