West Bengal state authorities in India have ordered expedited RT-PCR testing of bats at a zoo in Kolkata after five Nipah virus infections were confirmed, including cases among healthcare workers. Officials stressed this is a surveillance measure and urged calm.
On 25 Jan 2026 GMT+7, the Hindu Times news agency of India reported that West Bengal authorities began testing bats at Alipore Zoo in Kolkata for the Nipah virus using RT-PCR, amid concerns over the risk of outbreak.
Tripti Sah, director of Alipore Zoo, stated that a medical expert team from the National Medical Research Institute strictly followed safety protocols throughout sample collection. She revealed the team collected blood and secretion samples from bats at the zoo over two consecutive days—the mornings of Thursday and Friday—and completed the task before the zoo opened to visitors at 09:00.
This bat testing at the zoo is part of efforts to trace the source of the Nipah virus after recent reports indicated two healthcare workers at a private hospital in Barasat, North 24 Parganas district, tested positive for the virus—a disease that must be reported immediately to the federal government.
Officials said that besides Alipore Zoo, authorities have collected bat samples from various locations in West Bengal, including Madhyamgram, Barasat, and Basirhat. Alipore Zoo is the only site in Kolkata with bat enclosures and is thus included in the special surveillance plan.