New Delhi

Two suspected Nipah virus cases were identified on January 11 at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at AIIMS Kalyani in West Bengal, official sources said on Monday.

Given the severity of Nipah virus infection — a zoonotic disease known for its high fatality rate and potential for rapid transmission — authorities are treating the situation with the highest level of urgency, the sources said.

According to officials, one of the suspected patients had recently travelled to Ghugragachi in Nadia district of West Bengal, an area located close to the India–Bangladesh border.

Following the detection, the Union Health Secretary immediately held consultations with the West Bengal Chief Secretary and the state’s Principal Secretary (Health) to assess the situation and ensure prompt and coordinated action.

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

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

The Centre has also shared Nipah virus management guidelines under a communicable disease alert with the state’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). Additionally, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi has been activated to coordinate the national-level response.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, assuring full assistance from the Centre. He also spoke to her over the phone to reiterate the Centre’s commitment to providing all necessary support in managing the situation, the sources said.

The Government of India is extending comprehensive technical, logistical and operational assistance to the state, officials said. Essential resources, including laboratory services, intensified surveillance, clinical management, infection prevention and control measures, as well as expert guidance, have already been mobilised.

The state government has been advised to work closely with the deployed expert teams and to carry out detailed contact tracing along with other containment strategies.

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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is continuing to closely monitor developments in coordination with the West Bengal government, the sources added.