West Bengal reports two Nipah virus cases; health agencies step up surveillance and quarantine

What has been reported

Indian health authorities have confirmed two cases of Nipah virus in West Bengal, with the infections reported among two nurses at a private hospital near Kolkata. One of the nurses is said to be in critical condition and reportedly in a coma.

Officials stated that an initial investigation suggests both nurses may have contracted the virus after treating a patient with severe respiratory symptoms who later died before testing, and that this patient is being treated as a suspected index case while investigations continue.

Testing, quarantine and surveillance actions

As part of the response, authorities have implemented quarantine and surveillance measures for contacts and initiated expanded testing. Reports cited that, as of 20 January, 180 people had been tested and 20 high-risk contacts quarantined, with tests returning negative at that point.

National and state agencies, including the National Centre for Disease Control, have been involved in coordinating the response, reflecting the seriousness with which Nipah cases are typically handled due to their potential severity.

Why Nipah triggers high alert

Nipah is a zoonotic infection, meaning it can spread from animals to humans and also through human-to-human transmission. Symptoms can range from fever and respiratory distress to severe neurological involvement, and health officials emphasise strict infection-control measures in hospitals when cases are suspected.

Reports also noted that investigators have extended environmental surveillance, including testing of bats in and around Kolkata, as fruit bats are often cited in scientific literature as a likely reservoir for the virus.