A bat surveillance survey conducted in West Bengal has found no evidence of active Nipah virus infection, although antibodies were detected in one bat, indicating past exposure, as per the media reports.
The survey was initiated following the confirmation of two Nipah virus cases in the state. As part of the exercise, nine bats captured from the Kuberpur area along the Kolkata–Basirhat Road in Madhyamgram were tested using RT-PCR, with all samples returning negative results for the virus.
The ongoing survey is being carried out by the state forest department in collaboration with scientists from the Pune-based National Institute of Virology.
Meanwhile, the source of infection for the two nurses who recently tested positive for the Nipah virus in the state is yet to be identified.
