Kolkata, February 14: Dr. Rajiv Bahal, the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), commended the West Bengal government’s recent response to the Nipah virus cases. He noted that the state effectively coordinated with the central government to prevent the virus’s spread.
Dr. Bahal made these remarks during his visit to the ICMR-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (ICMR-NIBMG) in the Kalayani area of Kolkata, where he unveiled a statue of Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis.
Speaking about the Nipah virus situation, Dr. Bahal reassured the public that there is no cause for panic, as timely monitoring and preventive measures can effectively control the infection.
He highlighted that Nipah virus infections had previously been reported in West Bengal in 2001 and 2007, as well as in Kerala, but the number of cases remained limited.
Dr. Bahal further praised the proactive steps taken by the West Bengal government in surveillance and prevention efforts. He also mentioned that evidence of the Nipah virus has been found in bats across several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala, underscoring the importance of ongoing monitoring.
Recently, two nurses in West Bengal tested positive for the Nipah virus, one of whom tragically died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Barasat, North 24 Parganas district.
State health department officials reported that contact tracing was conducted to identify individuals who had come into contact with the infected nurses. Samples taken from these identified individuals tested negative.
Officials confirmed that no new cases of the Nipah virus have emerged in the state so far.
The Nipah virus is a dangerous infection that has sporadically appeared in parts of India, including West Bengal and Kerala. It primarily spreads through close contact with fruit bats and humans.
