As the shadow of the Nipah virus looms larger, health officials are doubling down on containment efforts in West Bengal. With two more nurses with suspected Nipah virus symptoms admitted to Beliaghata ID Hospital, the focus has shifted to a high-alert strategy to prevent further transmission and ensure public safety.
Two nurses—one male and one female—who tested positive for the Nipah virus are currently on ventilator support at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. Their condition is reported to be extremely critical.
Amid growing concerns, reports suggest the female nurse may have contracted the virus after consuming raw date palm sap while attending a wedding in the Nadia district.
Earlier, when the Nipah outbreak was reported in 2007, all five people who tested positive for the illness died after consuming raw palm date sap.
Dr Sayan Chakraborty, Consultant, Infectious Disease, Manipal Hospitals, said that the juice of the date sap is mostly contaminated by bats. " It’s a matter of preparation. Juice of date sap is frequently contaminated by bats, and when consumed raw, it acts as a direct link for the virus to enter the human body. Nolen Gur is prepared from that, and once the sap is heated and processed, it's safe. The high temperatures will kill the virus. The risk lies entirely in the raw, unboiled juice," he said.
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The state health officials are tracing people who came in contact with the infected nurse at the wedding. Reportedly, the female nurse had attended a family wedding on December 14.
During winters, raw palm dates are consumed, and on investigation, villagers at the border suggested that the nurse could have drunk that.
The two nurses, who developed symptoms of the virus, were engaged in the treatment of a health worker who tested positive for the virus.
As authorities await the remaining test results, 22 samples have been confirmed negative.
With the confirmation of the Nipah virus, the West Bengal health department has issued advisories to government and private hospitals in Barasat in North 24 Parganas.
Back in 2001, the first Nipah outbreak was reported in Siliguri in West Bengal, and later in 2007 in Nadia district.
-With inputs from Prema Rajaram
