India’s West Bengal on alert after suspected Nipah virus cases detected

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - India’s eastern state of West Bengal has been placed on alert following the detection of two suspected Nipah virus cases, officials said on Friday.

The Indian Health Ministry said immediate and coordinated action has been launched after the suspected cases were identified in the North 24 Parganas district.

“Laboratory support, enhanced surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control measures, and expert guidance have been mobilized,” the ministry said in a statement posted on the US social media platform X.

It added that a national joint outbreak response team has been deployed to the state and that standard protocols have been shared with local authorities to ensure effective containment.

West Bengal’s top administrative official, Nandini Chakraborty, said both patients are currently receiving treatment and are being closely monitored by a specialized medical team, according to public broadcaster All India Radio.

Authorities have intensified surveillance in several districts and are actively tracing high-risk contacts to prevent further spread of the virus.

Nipah virus, a zoonotic disease that can cause severe respiratory illness and encephalitis, has previously been reported in India’s southern state of Kerala, where multiple outbreaks have occurred in recent years.