Two suspected cases of Nipah wire have come to light in West Bengal, causing a stir. These suspected cases were confirmed in the lab located at AIIMS Kalyani on January 11. In view of the seriousness of Nipah virus, the Central Government has immediately taken charge. The Center has assured the state government of all possible help.
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda has assured all possible help by writing a letter and talking on phone to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to official sources related to the Health Ministry, the Central Government is providing technical, logistics and administrative help to the state. All necessary resources related to investigation, monitoring, treatment, infection prevention and control have been made available.
The Center has sent 'National Joint Outbreak Response Team' to Bengal. This team includes experts from AIH&PH, Kolkata, NIV, Pune, NIE, Chennai, AIIMS Kalyani and Wildlife Department (Ministry of Environment). These experts will investigate whether this virus is spreading from animals to humans. The 'Public Health Emergency Operation Center' of NCDC located in Delhi has been activated.
The state government has been advised to strictly implement 'contact tracing' (identification of people who have come in contact with patients) and infection prevention measures. The Health Ministry is constantly monitoring the situation and is working closely with the state government. The guidelines of the Central Government related to Nipah virus have been sent to the IDSP unit of the state.
As soon as information about the suspected cases was received, the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare held an immediate meeting with the Chief Secretary and Health Secretary of the Government of West Bengal. During this period the situation was thoroughly reviewed. Also, there was discussion regarding quick and coordinated action, preventing the spread of infection, deployment of National Joint Outbreak Response Team.
On January 11, 2026, two suspected cases of Nipah virus have been reported in West Bengal. These cases were identified in VRDL Lab, ICMR AIIMS Kalyani. Nipah virus has been found in the bodies of two male nurses of a private hospital in Barasat in North 24 Parganas district. According to sources, no record has been found of these two infected people going to other states. However, it has been revealed that he had gone to Burdwan. According to the state government, contact tracing has now started. Both these infected people are undergoing treatment in the private hospital where they are.
Nipah virus is a very dangerous and deadly zoonotic virus, which spreads from animals to humans. The initial symptoms of infection can be like normal flu, which later become serious. The first case of Nipah virus in India was reported in Siliguri, West Bengal in 2001, after which its outbreak was seen in Kerala in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023. So far, more than 90 cases of Nipah virus have been reported in India, in which the mortality rate has been very high. At present, there is no definite treatment or vaccine available for Nipah virus, hence timely identification, isolation and caution are the biggest protection.
