India - Nipah virus confirmed in two nurses in West Bengal, several contacts identified

[Shiloh]

Source: https://sambadenglish.com/miscellany...lised-10993336

Two suspected Nipah cases detected in Bengal; both individuals hospitalised
Two suspected cases of Nipah virus disease were identified on January 11 at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), ICMR, AIIMS Kalyani in West Bengal.
Priya Ranjan Swain profile image
by
IANS
January 12, 2026, 11:42 PM IST

Kolkata: Two suspected cases of Nipah virus disease were identified on January 11 at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), ICMR, AIIMS Kalyani in West Bengal.

Both the affected persons are nurses and are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital, West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and state health Secretary Narayan Swoop Nigam confirmed on Monday.

They said the state health department is keeping a close watch on the situation and is trying to trace the persons who came in contact with the two nurses after they were suspected to have been affected by the Nipah virus.

Both the nurses are attached to a hospital at Barasat, the district headquarters of North 24 Parganas. Both are now admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital.

One is a resident of Nadia district and the other is a resident of East Burdwan district. Hence, attempts to trace the persons who came in contact with them after they were suspected to have been affected are mainly concentrated in Nadia, East Burdwan and North 24 Parganas districts...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-...nt/cid/2142386

Nipah virus suspected in two private hospital nurses at Barasat, treatment going on
Fluid samples from the nurses have been sent to AIIMS Kalyani, while the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, will provide the final confirmation on whether the patients are infected with Nipah virus
Our Bureau Published 13.01.26, 06:57 AM

Two nurses at a private hospital in Barasat, North 24-Parganas, are suspected to be infected with the Nipah virus, the state government said on Monday.

Both patients were unconscious and on ventilator support on Monday evening and are being treated at the same hospital where they work, according to sources in the state health department.

Fluid samples from the nurses have been sent to AIIMS Kalyani, while the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, will provide the final confirmation on whether the patients are infected with Nipah virus.

A neurologist treating the nurses first suspected infection after reviewing a CT scan of the brain that showed signs of viral involvement, a health department source said...

...The Barasat hospital has created an isolation ward in the ICU for the two patients. All nurses who provided care have been quarantined, and their samples have also been sent for testing, health department sources said...

...An official from the health department said one of the nurses initially fell ill and returned home in East Burdwan on December 31 with high fever and respiratory issues. The patient went to a local health centre but later fell unconscious on January 4. The nurse was shifted to Burdwan Medical College and then moved to the Barasat hospital on January 6 after their condition worsened.

The second nurse was admitted to the Barasat hospital on January 4. “They were on duty together between December 28 and 30,” a health department official said.

The health department official added: “This was confirmed after speaking to both nurses’ family members and hospital authorities.”

Chakravorty did not comment on the nurses’ current condition, stating only that they are “under treatment” and that a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the situation is being prepared...

[Pathfinder]

AIIMS Kalyani
3h ·

Nipah is a highly fatal infectious disease, but it has limited spreading ability. On Saturday (10th Jan 2025) late night, AIIMS Kalyani Infectious Diseases expert received a call from a Consultant Neurologist at Barasat Narayana Multispecialty Hospital seeking opinion regarding a young female nurse with rapidly progressive encephalopathy and a second male nurse from the same hospital with fever and neuro-respiratory deterioration. Both patients are currently ventilated with severe encephalopathy. Given the temporal clustering, shared workplace, and severity, this immediately raised concern for a high-consequence viral encephalitis rather than sporadic AES. AIIMS Kalyani professionals promptly activated coordination early Sunday morning - reached the site, collected samples, and initiated urgent multisample testing, including urine, plasma/serum, nasopharyngeal swab, and CSF. Real-time RT-PCR completed within the same working day within 6 hours, with preliminary results communicated immediately to the ICMR, treating teams and hospital administration and the State Government to guide isolation, ICU precautions, and contact tracing. This rapid Turn-Around-Time was essential to inform containment measures and prevent further nosocomial exposure.

RT-PCR at AIIMS Kalyani detected Nipah virus RNA in both patients. At 2 AM, samples were sent to NIV Pune for confirmation. NIV Pune confirmed the diagnosis.
Physicians across the state should remain on high alert for cases with combined Severe Acute Respiratory symptoms, Fever, and Encephalitis, and inform the corresponding district health authorities. Consumption of raw date palm sap ("কাঁচা খেজুর রস) may be avoided. However, Date Palm Jaggery (খেজুর গুড়) is not associated with the disease."

#NipahVirus
#outbreak
#aiimsk_id
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
PMO India
Narendra Modi
J.P.Nadda
Anupriya Patel अनुप्रिया पटेल

https://www.facebook.com/AIIMSKalyani.2020/posts/pfbid0qhSG4XMzMR29D8iXQH5Y8vqdn7uXZz8zPf6GNvVfAqmt nwjhauz8P4D9nwM26KAjl

https://www.facebook.com/AIIMSKalyani.2020/

[Pathfinder]

Site Admin | January 13, 2026 9:24 AM

West Bengal reports two suspected Nipah cases; centre sends response team



The Centre has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to assist the State for effective containment after two suspected cases of Nipah virus were identified in West Bengal. These suspected cases were identified on Sunday at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory of the Indian Council of Medical Research in AIIMS Kalyani.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has shared a video in which Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said the Central government firmly stands with the State government, and it is providing comprehensive technical, logistical and operational support to the State Government for the effective management and prevention of the outbreak. He added that upon receipt of information, the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, immediately held discussions with the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, Health of West Bengal, to review the situation.

Mr Nadda said he had also spoken to the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee and emphasised for Centre- State co-ordination in this direction.

Meanwhile, our Kolkata Correspondent reports the West Bengal government has implemented comprehensive precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus, including two healthcare workers at a private hospital in Barasat, North 24 Parganas. State’s Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, convened an emergency meeting at Nabanna with the state’s Health Secretary and other senior officials to review the situation.

Briefing the press, she confirmed that both patients are currently undergoing treatment, with a specialized medical team monitoring their condition. Preliminary investigations suggest the individuals contracted the virus during a work-related visit to Purba Bardhaman. Consequently, surveillance has been intensified across Purba Bardhaman, North 24 Parganas, and Nadia districts, while authorities are actively tracing high-risk contacts.

To assist citizens, the State government has launched two helpline numbers: 033 2333-0180 and 9874708858.

https://www.newsonair.gov.in/west-bengal-reports-two-suspected-nipah-cases-centre-sends-response-team/

[Pathfinder]

Nipah alert in Bengal: 2 nurses critical, here’s how hospitals are gearing up to tackle cases
...
Written by Sweety Kumari
Kolkata | January 13, 2026 04:39 PM IST

With two nurses from a private hospital on ventilator support after testing positive for the Nipah virus in preliminary screenings at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Kalyani, the West Bengal government has sounded an alert across all state healthcare facilities.
...
The Nipah virus has resurfaced in the state, following outbreaks in Siliguri in 2001 and Tehatta in 2007. On Monday, the government said that two nurses at a private hospital in Barasat in the North 24 Parganas district have been infected with the virus. Both nurses stay as paying guests in two separate houses. The first individual is a male nurse whose home is in East Burdwan; the other is a female nurse from East Midnapore.

On December 15 and 17, the woman had attended a family wedding in Nadia. From there, she visited several places, including Shantiniketan. After falling ill, she was admitted to a medical college in South Bengal. The male nurse was on night duty at the hospital with the female nurse on December 20 and 21.
...
The condition of both nurses, aged between 24 and 25 years of age, is very critical. Due to severe infection in the lungs and brain (Encephalitis), both have been placed on ventilation. Contact tracing has begun to identify those they came into contact with.
...
“In our hospital, we are fully prepared with a dedicated isolation ward to manage suspected cases. All suspected patients will be immediately isolated and treated with strict infection control measures, including the use of appropriate and full PPE. Clinical samples will be sent to accredited laboratories to confirm the presence of the virus,” Dr Banerjee added.

There are two known strains of the Nipah virus, the NiV-Malaysia (NiV-M) and NiV-Bangladesh (NiV-B), he said. “The strain identified in Kerala has shown characteristics that lie between these two strains; however, the exact strain involved in West Bengal is yet to be confirmed. Given that the Nipah virus is extremely contagious and can have a mortality rate of more than 50 per cent, early identification, prompt isolation, and strict adherence to protocols will remain absolutely critical,” he added.
...

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/nipah-alert-west-bengal-nurses-critical-hospitals-gearing-up-10471229/

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-...nt/cid/2142541

Two Nipah cases confirmed in Bengal, state health department lens on 90 contacts
Doctors said the symptoms of a Nipah infection include high fever, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat, followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness and neurological signs. The virus can cause meningoencephalitis
Sanjay Mandal, Subhajoy Roy Published 14.01.26, 07:07 AM

The National Institute of Virology in Pune has confirmed two Nipah virus cases in Bengal, with the state health department identifying around 90 people who had been in close contact with the two patients, both of them nurses, government sources said on Tuesday.

All the 90 are under observation, and their samples have been sent for testing.

A health official said efforts were on to trace more people who may have come in contact with the two nurses.

One of the two nurses has slipped into a coma, and the other is critical, a state official said. They are being treated at the private hospital in Barasat, North 24-Parganas, where they are employed...

[Pathfinder]

Bengal Nipah update: 3 more infected with Nipah in Bengal, over 100 quarantined

Health department officials have intensified Nipah surveillance in North 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman, Purba Medinipur, and Nadia

Written by Ravik Bhattacharya +1 More
Alipurduar | Updated: January 15, 2026 12:24 AM IST

AT least three more persons, a doctor, a nurse, and a health staff member, have been infected with the Nipah virus in West Bengal, taking the total number of active cases to five.

The first two patients – a male nurse from Purba Medinipur district and a female nurse from Mongolkot in Purba Bardhaman district who worked at a private hospital in Barasat in North 24 Parganas district – continue to remain in the ICU.

Among the three new cases, one is a doctor of the same private hospital in Barasat, and the other two are a nurse and a hospital staffer of Katwa subdivisional hospital who came in contact with the female nurse. They have been admitted to the infectious diseases hospital in Beleghata.

The West Bengal government has sent around 100 people into home quarantine over the last two days since the first two nurses tested positive for the Nipah virus on Monday.
...

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/nipah-returns-bengal-nearly-100-people-quarantine-mass-contact-tracing-nurses-10473510/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 more suspected Nipah cases in Bengal; doc, nurse shifted to Kolkata hospital

The two had come in contact with the nurse, who tested positive for Nipah virus at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, during her treatment

Published on: Jan 14, 2026 11:01 PM IST
By Joydeep Thakur

KOLKATA: A junior doctor and a nurse have been admitted to Kolkata’s Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General (ID&BG) Hospital after they developed early symptoms of Nipah virus infection, a state health department official said on Wednesday.
...
The two were among those engaged in the treatment of a nurse who tested positive for Nipah virus at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital.
....
Around 38 medical staffers at the Burdwan hospital, who had come in contact with the nurse from Katwa during her threatment in the hospital, have already been told to stay in isolation at home.

The junior doctor and the nurse had developed early symptoms such as cough and cold and were shifted to the ID&BG Hospital. “They have been kept in isolation. Their samples, including blood and nasopharyngeal swabs have been collected and sent to the lab for tests,” said another official.
...

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/kolkata-news/2-more-suspected-nipah-cases-in-bengal-doc-nurse-shifted-to-kolkata-hospital-101768411818762.html

[Shiloh]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/was-barasat-woman-who-died-in-dec-states-1st-nipah-case/articleshow/126550591.cms

Article about what is possibly the 1st Nipah case. The 56 yr.old woman from Kazipara was admitted to Barasat Hospital on Dec. 19th showing signs consistent with a Nipah infection. She died on Dec. 22nd before samples could be collected.

[Pathfinder]

Location of Nadia district in West Bengal
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadia_district
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nipah outbreak in Bengal: Special team to conduct bat survey starting from Nadia district
...
Written by Atri Mitra +1 More
January 16, 2026 02:16 PM IST
...
According to an official with the Forest Department, the survey will start from Nadia district, as primary investigation indicates that the infection may have originated in the region. A senior official with the Health Department said, “Nipah virus generally spreads from bats, which is why a survey of bats will be conducted.”
...
A senior health official said, “We suspect the infection or contamination started in Nadia where the female nurse went for a family ceremony. We will start collecting blood and samples from bats in Nadia first. We will then continue the survey in other districts.”
...

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/nipah-outbreak-in-bengal-special-team-to-conduct-bat-survey-10477422/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source of Nipah infection in West Bengal still unclear as investigators examine possible Bangladesh link

Two nurses remain hospitalised with no further cases detected so far; Centre and state coordinate response

Jayanta Basu
Published on:
16 Jan 2026, 6:07 am
...
The source of the Nipah virus infection detected in West Bengal — the first such cases in the state in 19 years — remains unclear, with investigators examining two possible routes of transmission.

So far, two nurses have tested positive for the virus. Both are hospitalised and, according to state health department sources, are showing marginal improvement, though they remain at risk.

Initial investigations suggested that the infection may have originated in a village in Nadia district, close to the Bangladesh border. However, officials are also examining whether the nurses may have contracted the virus while treating a patient who later died with severe respiratory symptoms.
...
According to preliminary findings, one of the affected nurses had travelled to a village in Krishnaganj block of Nadia district, less than three kilometres from the India-Bangladesh border, to attend a social function, on December 15.

The area lies close to parts of Bangladesh where low to moderate levels of Nipah infection have been reported regularly over the past two decades. Investigators believe the nurse may have been exposed to the virus by consuming raw date palm sap or other contaminated food during her visit, a known risk factor for Nipah transmission.

However, a second possible route emerged on January 15. Health officials confirmed that both nurses had attended to an elderly woman in Barasat, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, who was admitted with acute respiratory distress and an undiagnosed fever. The patient was treated on December 20 and 21 and died on December 22. No Nipah test was conducted before her death, making it difficult to confirm whether she was infected. Subsequent enquiries at her home indicated that she had symptoms similar to those associated with Nipah virus infection.
...
No further spread detected so far

According to state health department officials, the infection has so far been limited to the two nurses. Around 150 contacts have been traced, placed under home quarantine and tested. 40 samples have been sent so far and have returned negative results, including those of 13 people believed to have had close contact with the nurses.

Samples from a nurse and a hospital staff member at Burdwan Medical College, admitted on January 14 with Nipah-like symptoms, also tested negative.
...
Officials expressed cautious relief on January 15 as no new cases had emerged since January 12.
...

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/health/source-of-nipah-infection-in-west-bengal-still-unclear-as-investigators-examine-possible-bangladesh-link

[Pathfinder]

One of the two Nipah-positive nurses' condition improves further, other still in coma
...
Sanjay Mandal And Subhajoy Roy Published 17.01.26, 06:58 AM
...
“The condition of one of the two nurses has further improved. The nurse was taken off intubation support on Thursday after showing signs of recovery. Since then, oxygen dependency has further reduced,” a state health department official said.
...
“The second nurse remains in coma,” the official said.

The health department has sent samples from about 75 people at Barasat hospital who came into contact with the two nurses for testing. More than 100 samples — including those from other contacts such as family members — have been tested so far, all returning negative results, the official said.
...
Several hospital staff were placed under isolation as a precaution. “All have tested negative and continue to remain in isolation as per government protocols...

The state health department also confirmed that samples from a doctor and nurse who treated one of the infected nurses at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital tested negative. Both are currently admitted to the Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General Hospital after developing mild symptoms, including fever and cough.

Health officials said the doctor is considered a high-risk contact while the nurse is a low-risk contact. An expert team will decide whether they should continue their 21-day quarantine in hospital or at home. “We may conduct another round of testing before allowing them to go home. Both are stable and doing fine,” the official said.
...

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/kolkata/one-of-the-two-nipah-positive-nurses-condition-improves-further-other-still-in-coma-prnt/cid/2143032

[Pathfinder]

All high-risk Nipah contacts test negative, of the two nurses one heads towards betterment
...
Subhajoy Roy Published 18.01.26, 05:31 AM
...
“The health condition of one of the nurses has shown significant improvement. The patient was able to walk on Saturday and was also fed orally. However, the nurse will not be able to speak for another day or two since she was under intubation for many days,” the hospital official said.
...
An official of the state health department confirmed that by Saturday, results of all high-risk contacts had been received. “All of them tested negative,” the official said.

“We were very concerned about the test result of the roommate of one of the nurses. But the test result of the third nurse has also returned negative. This is a huge relief for us. The third nurse was a high-risk contact as they spent a lot of time together in close proximity,” the official added.
...

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/kolkata/all-high-risk-nipah-contacts-test-negative-of-the-two-nurses-one-heads-towards-betterment-prnt/cid/2143159

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
181 of 190 samples of nurses’ contacts test Nipah-negative

Sumati Yengkhom / Updated: Jan 18, 2026, 16:19 IST
...
Only one among the close contacts, a young doctor, had complained of fever, prompting his admission to the Beleghata ID hospital. But he tested negative and was discharged later. Another suspect admitted to the ID hospital was not a close contact. The woman in her 60s from Nadia also tested negative.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/181-of-190-samples-of-nurses-contacts-test-nipah-negative/articleshow/126626953.cms

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Close contacts: All 190 samples Nipah -ve

Sumati Yengkhom / Jan 19, 2026, 04:24 IST

Kolkata: Six days into the Nipah virus outbreak, the number of infected people in the city stands still at two.

ICMR-NICED Kolkata, where samples of close contacts were tested, did not detect the virus in any of the 190 samples tested in the mobile BSL-3 lab sent by NIV Pune.
...

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/close-contacts-all-190-samples-nipah-ve/articleshow/126660523.cms

[Pathfinder]

No active Nipah virus found in Bengal bats, survey detects past exposure
...
PTI Published 20.01.26, 10:09 PM
...
Nine bats from near Kuberpur on the Kolkata-Basirhat Road in Madhyamgram were tested using RT-PCR, the official said, adding that all samples were negative for the virus, the official said.

One bat, however, tested positive for antibodies, suggesting prior infection but no current risk of transmission.

The survey was conducted by the state forest department in collaboration with scientists from Pune-based National Institute of Virology and is still underway.

“The findings are reassuring, but caution is warranted. Surveillance and preventive measures will continue until we are fully assured that there is no risk,” a senior official of the West Bengal Health Department said.
...
Meanwhile, the source of infection of the two nurses who recently tested positive for Nipah virus in the state remains unidentified, the official said.
...

https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/no-active-nipah-virus-found-in-bengal-bats-survey-detects-past-exposure/cid/2143597

[Pathfinder]

Health experts scramble to contain outbreak of deadly Nipah virus
...
Samaan Lateef
in Mumbai
21 January 2026 11:21am GMT
...
“Two nurses at a private hospital are infected with Nipah virus, and one of them is in critical condition,” Mr Narayan Swaroop Nigam, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, West Bengal, told The Telegraph.

The pair were on duty together between December 28 and 30. Between December 31 and January 2, they developed high fevers and respiratory distress and were admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit on January 4 after their conditions worsened.

Initial investigations suggest that both nurses, one of whom is in a coma, caught the virus while treating a patient with severe respiratory symptoms who later died before testing could be carried out, sources at the hospital said.

“The most likely source of infection is a patient who had been admitted to the same hospital previously. That individual is being treated as the suspected index case, and investigations are ongoing,” said a senior health official involved in West Bengal’s Nipah surveillance efforts.
...
The senior health official involved in West Bengal’s Nipah surveillance efforts denied the initial case had been misdiagnosed, but conceded the case had probably been missed.

“I wouldn’t describe it as misdiagnosis. It’s more accurate to say a missed diagnosis,” he said.
...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/health-experts-scramble-to-contain-nipah-outbreak-india/