A survey conducted on bats in West Bengal has found no active Nipah virus infection, though antibodies were detected in one specimen, indicating prior exposure, a senior state forest department official said on Tuesday.
The survey was conducted amid the identification of two confirmed Nipah infection cases.
Nine bats from near Kuberpur on the Kolkata-Basirhat Road in Madhyamgram were tested using RT-PCR, the official said, adding that all samples were negative for the virus, the official said.
One bat, however, tested positive for antibodies, suggesting prior infection but no current risk of transmission.
The survey was conducted by the state forest department in collaboration with scientists from Pune-based National Institute of Virology and is still underway.
“The findings are reassuring, but caution is warranted. Surveillance and preventive measures will continue until we are fully assured that there is no risk,” a senior official of the West Bengal Health Department said.
Kuberpur is located near Badu Road in the Madhyamgram–Barasat area of North 24 Parganas district.
Meanwhile, the source of infection of the two nurses who recently tested positive for Nipah virus in the state remains unidentified, the official said.
“Samples of all their contacts were tested at Kalyani AIIMS and the National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections, Beliaghata (Kolkata), and all reports have come back negative,” he said.
The nurse, currently undergoing treatment at Barasat Hospital, has shown signs of improvement and may be discharged after a repeat RT-PCR test returns negative. She continues to remain on ventilator support, the official added.
As part of preventive efforts, the Institute of Health and Family Welfare has organised a seminar for medical personnel to sensitise them on Nipah management protocols.
Describing the infections as a “litmus test” for pandemic preparedness, a senior health department official said the episode underscores the importance of national and global readiness in the post-COVID period.
He added that the state health department is in the process of forming a One Health Committee to oversee treatment guidelines and the use of antivirals for Nipah cases.
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