| No images? Click here  Friday, 30 January 2026 Disease Outbreak NewsNipah virus infection - IndiaSituation at a glanceOn 26 January 2026, the National IHR Focal Point for India notified WHO of two laboratory‑confirmed cases of Nipah virus (NiV) infection in West Bengal State. Both are healthcare workers at the same private hospital in Barasat (North 24 Parganas district). NiV infection was confirmed at the National Institute of Virology in Pune on 13 January. One case remains on mechanical ventilation as of 21 January, the other case experienced severe neurological illness but has since improved. Authorities have identified and tested over 190 contacts, who all tested negative for NiV with support from a mobile BSL‑3 laboratory deployed by the National Institute of Virology, Pune. No further cases have been detected to date. This event represents the third NiV infection outbreak reported in West Bengal (previous outbreaks reported in Siliguri in 2001 and Nadia in 2007). Enhanced surveillance and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are in place while investigations into the source of exposure are ongoing. NiV infection is a serious but rare zoonotic disease transmitted to humans through infected animals (such as bats), or food contaminated with saliva, urine, and excreta of infected animals. It can also be transmitted directly from person to person through close contact with an infected person. There are currently no licensed medicines or vaccines for NiV infection, however early supportive care can improve survival. WHO assesses the risk posed by Nipah to be moderate at the sub-national level, and low at the national, the regional and global levels. Description of the situationRead more here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON593  Media contacts:  You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list.  |
Friday, January 30, 2026
Disease Outbreak News: Nipah virus infection - India
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment