Indian health authorities are stepping up containment efforts after five cases of the deadly Nipah virus were detected in West Bengal, near Kolkata, raising fears of further spread.
According to local reports, three new infections were recorded this week, involving a doctor, a nurse and another health worker. Two other nurses had earlier tested positive at a private hospital in Barasat, about 15 miles north of Kolkata.
Officials say one of the infected nurses is in critical condition, after developing a high fever and respiratory symptoms. The nurse is believed to have contracted the virus while treating a patient with severe respiratory illness who later died before tests could be carried out.
In response, authorities have launched urgent contact tracing, with around 180 people tested and about 20 high-risk contacts placed in quarantine.
Nipah is a bat-borne virus that can spread from animals to humans and also through human-to-human transmission. While early infection may show no symptoms, it can quickly develop into severe respiratory illness and, in extreme cases, brain inflammation, which can lead to coma.
The virus has a fatality rate estimated between 40% and 75%, and there is currently no specific treatment or vaccine. The World Health Organisation has listed Nipah as a priority pathogen due to its high lethality and epidemic potential.
Health experts say the risk of infection can be reduced by avoiding exposure to bats and pigs and steering clear of potentially contaminated food or drinks, including raw date palm sap.
