West Bengal rushes to contain Nipah virus outbreak as Asian countries heighten surveillance
West Bengal authorities are racing to contain a Nipah virus outbreak after five cases were confirmed, including infections among healthcare workers, as neighbouring Asian countries step up border and airport surveillance.
- Five Nipah virus cases have been confirmed in West Bengal, with around 100 people placed under quarantine.
- Two nurses remain in critical condition, prompting strict hospital protocols and state-wide guidelines.
- Regional neighbours, including Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan, have intensified travel screening and health alerts.
Health authorities in India’s eastern state of West Bengal are scrambling to contain an outbreak of the Nipah virus after five confirmed cases, prompting quarantine measures and heightened regional health alerts.
Among those infected are two nurses, a doctor and a health staff member, according to state officials. Two of the nurses remain in critical condition in hospital, raising concerns over healthcare-associated transmission.
“The health condition of both of them remains extremely critical. They are still in a coma and admitted to the ICCU,” a senior state health department official told media.
Authorities said the nurses were employed at a private hospital in Barasat, on the outskirts of Kolkata. The facility has since been placed under strict infection control monitoring.
Since the first cases were confirmed earlier this week, around 100 people have been sent into home quarantine. About 30 of them are under close medical observation.
The West Bengal government has issued detailed clinical and public health guidelines aimed at preventing further transmission. These include early detection, immediate isolation and protocol-based treatment of suspected and confirmed cases.
Under the guidelines, suspected patients must be isolated at designated facilities. Healthcare workers are required to follow stringent infection prevention measures, including the mandatory use of personal protective equipment.
Hospitals have also been advised to restrict visitor access and strengthen triage systems to identify potential Nipah cases at the earliest stage, according to state officials.
The outbreak has prompted precautionary measures beyond India, with several Asian countries tightening health surveillance at airports and border crossings.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has stepped up screening at major airports, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and Phuket, for passengers arriving from West Bengal, officials said.
Travellers are being monitored for fever and symptoms associated with Nipah virus infection. “Health beware” cards are being issued to advise passengers on what steps to take if they develop symptoms.
“Thailand's Department of Disease Control screens travellers from West Bengal, India at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports starting 25 January amid the Nipah virus outbreak,” the Thai government said in a statement.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said no Nipah cases had been detected in Thailand, but added that surveillance would remain high.
Travellers found to have high fever or symptoms consistent with Nipah infection will be transferred to quarantine facilities, local media reported.
Cleaning and disease-control preparedness have also been intensified at Phuket International Airport, where IndiGo operates a daily direct flight from Kolkata.
Nepal has also heightened alert levels, increasing health checks at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and at key land border crossings with India.
“We have specifically intensified surveillance at border points in Koshi Province,” said Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, as quoted by local media.
Health checks have also been ordered for travellers entering through other border crossings, reflecting concerns over cross-border movement from neighbouring West Bengal.
In Taiwan, health authorities are planning to classify Nipah virus infection as a Category 5 notifiable disease, the highest level under local law for emerging infectious diseases.
The proposal, subject to a 60-day public consultation, would mandate immediate reporting and special control measures if cases are detected.
Taiwan’s Centres for Disease Control said it is maintaining a Level 2 “yellow” travel alert for parts of India, with advisories to be updated as the situation evolves.
The World Health Organisation has classified Nipah virus as a priority pathogen because of its epidemic potential and high fatality rate.
According to the WHO, infection can range from asymptomatic cases to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.
Medical care is limited to supportive treatment for severe respiratory and neurological complications, health authorities say.
Nipah virus is zoonotic, spreading to humans from animals such as fruit bats and pigs, through contaminated food, or via direct human-to-human contact.
“This is more likely in rural and forest-adjacent areas where agricultural practices increase contact between humans and fruit bats searching for food,” said Rajeev Jayadevan, former president of the Indian Medical Association’s Cochin chapter.
First identified in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia, Nipah virus has since been reported in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
Previous outbreaks have recorded fatality rates ranging from 40% to 75%, depending on the strain involved, underscoring its status as a recurring and serious public health threat.
