West Bengal Reports Two Nipah Virus Cases in Private Hospital

The West Bengal government on Monday said thattwo cases of Nipah virus have been detected in the state. Both the affected individuals are medical staffers of a private hospital in Barasat in North 24 Parganas district and are admitted there, the government said. “Both, aged between 22 and 25 (male and female), had travelled to Purba Bardhaman for personal reasons, but have no history of travel outside the state… They are employees of a private hospital in Barasat and are currently undergoing treatment at that facility,” West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty told mediapersons. The chief secretary said the Health Department has started contact tracing. “The authorities are investigating how the two individuals contracted the virus and are identifying everyone who had come into contact with them,” she said.