Two Nipah-infected nurses in Bengal critical, contact tracing and screening intensified

Kolkata, Jan 14 (IANS) Two nurses from Barasat in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal who have tested positive for the Nipah virus are in a coma and in extremely critical condition, hospital sources said on Wednesday.

In both cases, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores for eye opening, verbal response, and motor response are below five. The female nurse has tested positive for Nipah, with her samples confirmed by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. Doctors said the male nurse, who is currently on ventilator support, is also likely to test positive.

Around 65 people who came into contact with the two nurses have been identified and placed under isolation. The infected nurses were staying as paying guests in Hridaypur, Barasat. Two people who stayed with the male nurse and one who stayed with the female nurse have developed fever and are under observation.

Those exposed to the patients, including the ambulance driver who transported them to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, medical staff involved in their treatment, and others present at the time, have been screened and provided preventive care.

The Centre has activated standard protocols for surveillance, sample collection and bed preparedness. A joint team of experts from the state and central health departments has visited the private hospital in Barasat, where the nurses are admitted. Samples of 14 contacts have been sent to AIIMS Kalyani for testing, while additional samples have been collected from Katwa and Burdwan Medical College Hospitals.

Sources said a female nurse from Katwa is also in a critical condition and has slipped into a coma. An RMO from the same hospital has developed similar symptoms and is undergoing treatment. His blood samples have been sent for testing. At least 23 hospital staff members have been quarantined so far, a number that may rise further.

The two Nipah cases were first identified on Sunday by the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) at ICMR-AIIMS Kalyani. Both nurses are attached to a hospital in Barasat and are currently admitted to the ICU of a private facility.

A national joint outbreak response team has been deployed to assist the state government in containment and public health measures. The team includes experts from the All India Institute of Health and Public Hygiene, Kolkata; NIV, Pune; National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai; AIIMS Kalyani; and the Department of Wildlife under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda has assured full support from the Centre. He wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and also spoke to her over the phone, reiterating the Union government’s commitment to provide all necessary assistance, according to a statement from the health ministry.