Two suspected cases of Nipah virus disease were identified in West Bengal on January 11, 2026, at the ICMR–AIIMS Kalyani Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), prompting an immediate and high-level response from the Centre. Given the high fatality rate and outbreak potential of the zoonotic virus, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare moved swiftly to coordinate containment efforts. The Union Health Secretary reviewed the situation with West Bengal’s Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Health) to ensure rapid and coordinated action.
National Team Deployed, Guidelines Issued
A National Joint Outbreak Response Team has been deployed to assist the state government. The team includes experts from the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata; National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai; AIIMS Kalyani; and the Wildlife Department under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Central guidelines under the Communicable Disease Alert for Nipah virus have been shared with the state’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
Health Ministry Offers Full Support To Mamata Banerjee
The Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi, has also been activated to coordinate the national response. Union Health Minister JP Nadda has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, assuring full central support. He also spoke to her directly, reiterating that all required assistance would be extended to manage the situation effectively. The Centre has mobilised laboratory support, enhanced surveillance, patient management systems, infection prevention protocols and expert guidance, while advising strict contact tracing and close coordination with deployed teams. The situation continues to be monitored closely by the Ministry in coordination with the state government.
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