India is stepping up efforts to control the Nipah virus outbreak after confirming at least five infections in West Bengal. Officials have ordered nearly 100 people into quarantine to curb the spread, fearing a dangerous resurgence of the virus.
Reports state that three new confirmed cases this week include one doctor, one nurse, and one public health worker. All are linked to a private hospital in Barasat, near Kolkata, the capital city of the state.
Earlier, two cases were reported involving a male and a female nurse working at the same hospital, prompting authorities to urgently investigate transmission routes and closely monitor close contacts.
State health officials revealed that the latest infected individuals have been admitted to the infectious diseases hospital in Beleghata, Kolkata, while the first two patients remain in critical care at the private hospital.
A senior official from the West Bengal health ministry stated, “The male nurse’s condition is improving, but the female patient remains critically ill.”
Meanwhile, authorities have ordered nearly 100 at-risk individuals to self-isolate at home following the initial case reported on Monday.
Nipah virus is classified by the World Health Organization as a high-priority pathogen due to its potential to cause large outbreaks and the absence of a specific vaccine or treatment.
Experts warn that Nipah is a zoonotic disease primarily carried by fruit bats. Human infection often occurs through consumption of fruit or food contaminated by bat secretions or contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, or blood from infected persons.
India has faced multiple Nipah outbreaks, especially in Kerala, which recorded dozens of deaths since 2018. Experts are concerned that if the virus mutates to spread more easily between people, it could trigger a major epidemic in the future.
Scientists believe the Nipah virus has existed in bats for thousands of years and remains a silent threat that the world must closely monitor.
Source:Independent
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