Health authorities in Kolkata have received welcome news in the ongoing Nipah virus situation. Laboratory tests have confirmed that samples from all suspected patients have returned negative results. This development effectively restricts the total number of confirmed Nipah cases in West Bengal to just two individuals.
Patient Conditions Show Mixed Progress
The two confirmed cases are both nurses attached to a hospital in Barasat. Medical teams report that the condition of the male nurse has shown significant improvement. He continues to receive treatment and is responding well to care. However, the condition of the female nurse remains critical, requiring intensive medical attention.
Extensive Contact Tracing Underway
The state health department, working alongside a national expert team, identified approximately 190 individuals who had close contact with the two infected nurses. Out of these contacts, test results for 181 people have already come back negative for the Nipah virus. Authorities are currently awaiting results for the remaining few contacts.
Dr. Yogiraj Ray, associate professor and head of infectious diseases at IPGMER, expressed cautious optimism. "The absence of any new Nipah-positive cases is certainly a positive sign," he stated. "We are hopeful that the outbreak can be contained to these two nurses. The male patient's condition has improved remarkably." Dr. Ray serves on the state expert panel and is directly involved in treating both patients.
Testing Numbers Decline Significantly
Officials at the ICMR-NIRBI laboratory reported receiving the majority of samples last Thursday. Since that initial influx, the number of samples being sent for testing has decreased dramatically. Dr. Santa Sabuj Das, director of ICMR-NIRBI, confirmed this trend. "We have not detected any Nipah positive cases among the samples we processed," he said.
The mobile BSL-3 laboratory stationed at the Beleghata Institute has also seen a reduction in sample submissions. This decrease suggests that the initial wave of testing and monitoring is tapering off as most contacts clear preliminary health checks.
Healthcare Services Prepare to Resume
With most healthcare workers testing negative, medical facilities are making preparations to return to normal operations. Venkatesh R, Group COO of Narayana Health, announced plans to resume elective services starting Monday. "All our healthcare workers identified as close contacts tested negative," he confirmed. "We are grateful for the support from the state health department and our community during this challenging period."
Isolated Cases Resolved Quickly
Among the close contacts, only one individual—a young doctor—developed fever symptoms. As a precaution, health authorities admitted him to the Beleghata Infectious Diseases Hospital. Fortunately, his test results came back negative, and he was discharged shortly afterward.
Another suspected case involved a woman in her sixties from Nadia district. She was not identified as a close contact of the infected nurses but was admitted to the ID hospital as a precautionary measure. Her test results also returned negative for the Nipah virus.
The coordinated response from multiple health agencies appears to be containing the situation effectively. Continuous monitoring and testing protocols remain in place as authorities work to ensure complete containment of the virus.
