Nipah Virus in West Bengal: Is the country once again moving towards a serious health crisis? The scary memories of the Corona epidemic had not yet completely faded when a news from West Bengal has increased the concern of the entire country.
After about 25 years, suspected cases of Nipah Virus have been reported in the state, which has alerted everyone from the health system to the common people. Nipah is not an ordinary viral infection, but a deadly virus whose mortality rate is said to be 40 to 70 percent.
The entire matter is related to a private hospital located in Barasat in North 24 Parganas district, where two working nurses, a woman and a man, suddenly fell seriously ill. The condition of both is said to be critical and they have been kept on ventilator. According to doctors, the symptoms seen in them match those of Nipah virus, however, their samples have been sent to Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) for final confirmation.
Central and state governments came into action
According to the information, both these health workers had gone to their native villages East Midnapore and East Bardhaman in December. Only after returning from there, high fever and other serious symptoms started appearing. This episode has further increased the administration’s concern about the possible source and spread of the infection. Seeing the seriousness of the matter, the central and state governments have come into action.
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda spoke to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over phone and took information about the situation and assured all possible assistance. The central government has sent the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Bengal, so that the infection can be stopped before it spreads. Also, contact tracing has been started to identify and monitor people who came in contact with the infected. The health departments of North 24 Parganas, East Bardhaman and East Midnapore have been put on high alert.
It is noteworthy that the first major outbreak of Nipah virus in India occurred in Siliguri in 2001, when 45 out of 66 infected people died. This is the reason why its return is being considered very serious. According to experts, Nipah virus is spread by fruit-eating bats and can reach humans through contact with contaminated fruits, animals or an infected person. Doctors say that do not ignore symptoms like high fever, headache, confusion, difficulty in breathing. Until official confirmation is received, vigilance and caution are the greatest weapons to protect against this potential threat.