West Bengal has been placed on high alert after two nurses working at a private hospital in North 24 Parganas were found to be suspected cases of the deadly Nipah virus. The Centre moved swiftly after receiving the report, deploying a national outbreak response team as both patients remain in critical condition.
The two nurses, one male and one female, were tested at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at AIIMS Kalyani. Preliminary findings indicated a possible Nipah virus infection. Both are currently admitted to their hospital in Barasat, where they are being treated in isolation wards with ventilator support.
Health officials said the two nurses work in the same hospital. One of them is a resident of Nadia district, while the other belongs to Katwa in Purba Bardhaman. The female nurse had recently returned from Katwa, where she fell ill on December 31. Her condition worsened rapidly, forcing doctors to shift her first to Bardhaman Medical College and later to the Barasat hospital in a special ambulance.
The second nurse is reported to have travelled to Ghugragachi in Nadia district, an area close to the India–Bangladesh border, before developing symptoms. Authorities are now mapping all locations visited by both patients in the days leading up to their illness.
Nipah virus is a highly dangerous zoonotic disease that spreads from animals to humans and can also transmit through close human contact. It has a high fatality rate and can spread quickly if not contained in time. Because of its serious nature, Nipah is classified as a notifiable disease in India, meaning every suspected case must be immediately reported to the Central government.
Following the detection of the two suspected cases, the Union Health Secretary held urgent discussions with senior officials of the West Bengal government. A national joint outbreak response team was immediately deployed to support the state’s containment and public health response.
The expert team includes specialists from the National Institute of Virology in Pune, the National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai, AIIMS Kalyani, the All India Institute of Health and Public Hygiene in Kolkata, and the Department of Wildlife under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The Public Health Emergency Operations Centre at the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi has also been activated to monitor the situation and coordinate the national response.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and assured her of full support from the Centre. In a video message, Nadda said the government of India is providing comprehensive technical, logistical, and operational assistance to help the state manage the situation.
He added that all essential resources, including laboratory services, enhanced surveillance, expert medical teams, infection prevention measures, and case management support, have already been mobilised. The state has been advised to maintain close coordination with the central teams and carry out strict contact tracing and containment steps.
Hospitals across North 24 Parganas, Nadia, and Purba Bardhaman districts have been alerted to look for any patients showing symptoms such as fever, breathing difficulty, or neurological complications. Health workers are also being advised to follow strict infection control protocols.
As authorities race to contain the situation, public health officials have urged people to remain calm but cautious. With both the Centre and the West Bengal government working closely together, every effort is being made to prevent any further spread of the virus and protect the public.