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West Bengal Governor Stresses Nipah Containment as Top Priority Amid Scare

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has emphasized that containing the Nipah virus must be the immediate priority for the government. This comes amid reports of two suspected Nipah cases detected at a laboratory in Kalyani. Union Health Minister JP Nadda confirmed the central government has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to support West Bengal. The expert team includes members from several national institutes to help contain the potential outbreak.

Key Points: Nipah Virus Containment Top Priority: Bengal Governor & Health Minister

  • Governor calls for containment priority
  • Two suspected cases reported in Kalyani
  • Central team deployed for outbreak response
  • Multi-institute experts assisting state
2 min read

Nipah virus has to be contained first, eradication should be top priority: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and Union Health Minister JP Nadda outline urgent steps to contain suspected Nipah virus cases in the state.

"It has to be contained first, and eradication should be the priority of the govt. - CV Ananda Bose"

Kolkata, January 15

Amid reports of two suspected Nipah virus cases in West Bengal, Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday said that the first step is to contain the virus and its eradication should be the priority of the government.

"It has to be contained first, and eradication should be the priority of the govt. Everybody should join together to see that we take a strong stand against the Nipah virus and take all precautionary measures to protect people from that..." he told ANI.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda, amid reports of two suspected Nipah virus cases in West Bengal, said that the government has initiated a coordinated response to prevent a potential outbreak.

Taking immediate action, the Union Minister said that the central government has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to support the State Government in containing the virus.

The team comprises experts from the All India Institute of Health and Public Hygiene, Kolkata; the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai; AIIMS Kalyani; and the Department of Wildlife, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

"Yesterday, on January 11th, two suspected cases of Nipah virus were found at the ICMR Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory in Kalyani... Coordinated action was immediately initiated to contain the outbreak. Upon receiving information about these cases last night, the Union Health Secretary discussed the situation with the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of Health of West Bengal. To provide assistance to West Bengal and to contain the outbreak, we immediately established a National Joint Outbreak Response Team. We have deployed a team with members from All India Institute of Health and Public Hygiene, Kolkata, National Institute of Virology, Pune, National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalyani, and Department of Wildlife, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change to West Bengal," said Nadda.

The Union Minister confirmed that protocols for the Nipah virus and other communicable diseases have been shared with the state's Integrated Disease Surveillance Unit, in accordance with central government guidelines.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The Governor is right, containment first. But I hope the political blame game doesn't start. Health should be above politics. The people of Bengal need assurance and clear guidelines, not statements for the media.
A
Aman W
Swift action is key. Remember the Kerala outbreak? We learned hard lessons. Having protocols ready and experts on the ground quickly can save many lives. Kudos to the health teams moving in fast.
S
Sarah B
As someone living in Kolkata, this is worrying. I appreciate the transparency so far. Please ensure clear public messaging on symptoms and precautions. Are hospitals equipped with enough isolation facilities?
V
Vikram M
The response seems better coordinated than before. But let's be honest, our public health infrastructure at the district level is still weak. Containment is priority number one, but long-term strengthening is what we really need. Jai Hind.
K
Kavya N
Hoping the suspected cases are negative. The mention of AIIMS Kalyani is good—we need our premier institutes leading from the front. Stay safe everyone, avoid rumours and follow official advice only.

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