A deadly outbreak of the Nipah virus in India’s eastern state of West Bengal has seen confirmed cases rise to five, including infections among healthcare workers.
West Bengal health authorities are investigating the source of infection for two affected medical staff and have traced the possible origin to a border village in Nadia district. Officials believe one female nurse may have contracted the virus after consuming date palm sap contaminated by fruit bats, before transmitting it to a male colleague upon returning to work.
According to The Times of India, the infected nurse had travelled on December 14 to a village near the India-Bangladesh border to attend a family wedding, where she stayed for several days. Health officials suspect the 25-year-old nurse became infected after drinking fresh date palm sap during her visit.
Local villagers said the consumption of fresh date palm sap is common during the winter season. However, the beverage can be deadly if contaminated by fruit bats, the natural carriers of the Nipah virus.
After returning from the wedding, the nurse resumed duty at her hospital and is believed to have passed the infection to a male colleague who was working the same shift.
Health authorities continue to monitor close contacts and investigate the outbreak as concerns grow over the virus’s high fatality rate.
