Kolkata: India is scrambling to control the spread of the Nipah virus. So far, five cases have been reported, with nearly 100 suspected cases under quarantine in the West Bengal state.

According to Thai News Agency, authorities reported three new cases this week, adding to the two previously infected individuals - a male and female nurse working at a private hospital near Kolkata. The male nurse's condition has improved, but the female nurse remains critical, with both still receiving treatment in the ICU. All three new cases, including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, have been admitted to the infectious disease hospital in the Belegata district of Kolkata. Furthermore, authorities have ordered nearly 100 people at risk to self-isolate at home after the first case was detected on Monday.

The symptoms of Nipah virus infection are similar to those of a common cold, but dangerous complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis can occur. In Thailand, this disease is known as Nipah encephalitis. The mortality rate for Nipah encephalitis is approximately 40%. Currently, there is no cure or treatment, and no vaccine for Nipah virus. Doctors treat the patients symptomatically.

The Nipah virus spreads from animals to humans. The World Health Organization classifies it as a major pathogen due to its potential to cause outbreaks. This virus was linked to the deaths of dozens of people in the southern Indian state of Kerala in 2018. Scientists hypothesize that the Nipah virus may have existed in fruit bats for thousands of years. Human infection typically occurs through the consumption of fruit or food contaminated with bat secretions. Contact with infected bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, or blood can also lead to infection.