Nipah in West Bengal: Tamil Nadu govt. asks health officers to strengthen AES surveillance

Following the confirmation of two cases of Nipah virus in Nadia district of West Bengal, following the high alert issued by the Government of India, the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine has directed all District Health Officers (DHO), City Health Officers and Municipal Health Officers to strengthen surveillance of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), especially in people with fever and sensory impairment. Persons admitted with AES, especially those with a history of travel or contact associated with West Bengal, should be closely monitored and evaluated for possible Nipah virus infection.

Minister of Health Ma. In his statement on Monday, January 19, 2026, Subramanian said that the instructions as well as the precautionary measures were issued by the DPH. While all DHOs have been asked to take surveillance measures, block medical officers at the primary healthcare level and heads of all government hospitals have been advised to remain vigilant.

Director of Public Health A. Somasundaram asked officials to ensure preparedness and awareness at the field level. He said it is important to sensitize healthcare workers and the public about preventive and control measures and strengthen surveillance, case management and infection prevention practices in all healthcare facilities.

Government and private hospitals should be alerted about the Nipah virus situation and directed to immediately report all AES cases to the relevant District Surveillance Units through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program-Integrated Health Information Platform portal.

DPH guidelines outlined mode of transmission, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment, as well as preventive measures in high-risk areas and recommendations for healthcare personnel.

Nipah virus can spread to humans through close contact with other Nipah-infected individuals, infected bats, or infected pigs. Virus-laden bat secretions can be transmitted to humans while climbing fruit trees, eating/obtaining fallen fruits, or consuming raw date juice/juice. Human-to-human infection can occur when providing home care or in hospital settings when close contact with Nipah-affected individuals is not used and appropriate personal protective equipment is not used.

Fever, mental status change, severe malaise, headache, respiratory distress, cough, vomiting, myalgia, convulsion and diarrhea are clinical features. In infected individuals, Nipah virus causes serious illness characterized by inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or respiratory illness. The case fatality rate is estimated to be 40-75%. However, the directorate said that this rate may vary depending on the epidemic and may reach up to 100 percent.

People exposed to areas where fruit bats live or to places contaminated with secretions, such as disused wells, caves, and orchards, will be at higher risk of infection. This also includes people who have had direct contact with sick pigs or their contaminated tissues. Listing the protection measures in high-risk areas, the directorate said that raw palm sap or toddy and half-eaten fruits should be consumed from the ground and avoid entering abandoned wells.

Medical staff were advised to admit persons suspected of showing Nipah symptoms to the isolation ward at the hospital and separate them from patients in the isolation ward.