New Delhi: Two suspected cases of Nipah virus have been detected at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at AIIMS Kalyani, West Bengal, official sources said on Monday.

According to a senior official of the West Bengal health department, two nurses working at a private hospital in North 24 Parganas district were showing symptoms of the Nipah virus.

The condition of the two nurses, one male and one female, is stated to be “very critical”, he said.

Both nurses work in the same hospital in Barasat.

They are suspected of being infected with the Nipah virus. Samples of both nurses were sent to Kalyani AIIMS for testing, and preliminary reports indicate a possible Nipah infection,” the official told PTI.

While one nurse is a resident of Nadia district, the other lives at Katwa in Purba Bardhaman district, he said.

“Both are currently admitted to the Barasat hospital where they work, and have been placed in the isolation ward with ventilator support,” the official added.

Given the serious nature of the Nipah virus infection, a zoonotic disease with high mortality and potential for rapid spread, the situation is being handled with utmost priority, the sources said.

Upon receiving the information, the Union health secretary held discussions with the chief secretary and principal secretary (health), government of West Bengal, to review the situation and ensure swift and coordinated action.

A national joint outbreak response team has been deployed to support the state government in containment and public health response measures, the sources said.

The team comprises experts from the All India Institute of Health and Public Hygiene, Kolkata; National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai; AIIMS Kalyani; and the Department of Wildlife, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, they said.

The Centre has shared guidelines on the Nipah virus under the communicable disease alert with the state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) unit.

In addition, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi, has been activated to coordinate the national response.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, assuring full support from the Centre, official sources said.

In a video message, Nadda said he spoke to Banerjee over the phone and reiterated the Centre’s commitment to extend all necessary assistance to the state in managing the situation.

“The government of India is providing comprehensive technical, logistical and operational support to the state government,” Nadda said.

All essential resources, including laboratory support, enhanced surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control measures, and expert guidance, have already been mobilised, they said.

“The state has been advised to ensure close coordination with the deployed expert teams and undertake meticulous contact tracing and other containment measures,” Nadda said.

According to state health department sources, one of the nurses recently returned from her hometown in Katwa, where she fell ill and was initially admitted to a local hospital on December 31.

“As her condition worsened, she was transferred to the Bardhaman Medical College, and then by a special ambulance to the Barasat hospital,” the health official said.

A source said the other suspect case had a history of travelling to Ghugragachi in Nadia district, which is located close to the India-Bangladesh border.

Nipah virus is a notifiable disease, requiring immediate reporting to the Central government.