Kolkata

Two more nurses were on Wednesday admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital here after they showed symptoms of Nipah virus infection, a health department official said.

The two healthcare workers were involved in treating a nurse who had earlier tested positive for Nipah virus at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, he said.

One of them was brought to the Kolkata hospital late on January 13, while the other, a house staff member, was shifted from the Bardhaman facility early on Wednesday, the official added.

“Both healthcare workers have developed symptoms suggestive of Nipah virus infection. Their samples have been collected and sent for laboratory examination,” the official said.

He added that the two had attended to the infected nurse during her treatment at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital and subsequently developed symptoms themselves.

“After developing symptoms, they were shifted to Beliaghata ID Hospital for further management,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the health condition of two other nurses, who had earlier tested positive for the Nipah virus and are currently admitted to Barasat Hospital, remained extremely critical, he said.

“They are still in a coma and are undergoing treatment in the Intensive Critical Care Unit (ICCU),” the official said.

The official further said that a resident medical officer (RMO) at Barasat Hospital, who had been in contact with the infected nurses, also developed symptoms consistent with Nipah virus infection.

“The RMO has been placed under isolation. However, all tests conducted at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) at AIIMS Kalyani, including nasal swab, blood, urine and throat swab, have returned negative,” he said.

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Nipah virus infection is a notifiable disease, requiring immediate reporting to the central government, the official added.