‘No active Nipah infection found in Bengal bats survey’

Kolkata: A survey conducted on bats in West Bengal has found no active Nipah virus infection, though antibodies were detected in one specimen, indicating prior exposure, a senior state forest department official said on Tuesday.

The survey was conducted amid the identification of two confirmed Nipah infection cases. Nine bats from near Kuberpur on the Kolkata-Basirhat Road in Madhyamgram were tested using RT-PCR, the official said, adding that all samples were negative for the virus, the official said. One bat, however, tested positive for antibodies, suggesting prior infection but no current risk of transmission. The survey was conducted by the state forest department in collaboration with scientists from Pune-based National Institute of Virology and is still underway.

“The findings are reassuring, but caution is warranted. Surveillance and preventive measures will continue until we are fully assured that there is no risk,” a senior official of the state Health department said.