India rushes to contain Nipah virus outbreak near Kolkata
- Jan 23
- 1 min read
A Nipah virus outbreak has been confirmed near Kolkata, West Bengal, with five healthcare workers infected.
In response, health authorities have placed nearly 100 people under home quarantine to contain the spread.
The infected patients have been moved to an infectious diseases hospital, with one of the initial cases remaining in critical condition.
Nipah is classified as a high-risk "priority pathogen" by the WHO because it has epidemic potential and lacks a specific vaccine or cure.
Health authorities in West Bengal are on high alert as they scramble to contain a Nipah virus outbreak following five confirmed cases and the quarantine of nearly 100 individuals.
The outbreak, centred near the state capital of Kolkata, initially saw two nurses, one male and one female, test positive while working at a private hospital in Barasat.
Earlier this week, three additional infections were confirmed involving a doctor, another nurse, and a healthcare staff member, according to the Press Trust of India.
The latest patients have been transferred to the infectious diseases hospital in Beleghata, eastern Kolkata.
Meanwhile, the two original patients remain in intensive care; a senior health official noted that while the male nurse's condition is improving, the female nurse remains in critical condition.
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