Kolkata, India – January 13, 2026 – India's eastern state of West Bengal has been placed on high alert following the identification of two suspected cases of Nipah virus (NiV) infection, prompting swift mobilization of national and state-level response mechanisms to contain potential spread. The cases, detected on January 11, 2026, involve two healthcare workers—nurses—from a private hospital in Barasat, the headquarters of North 24 Parganas district, and have raised concerns due to the virus's high fatality rate and history of outbreaks in India.
The suspected infections were confirmed through preliminary testing at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Kalyani in Nadia district. Both patients, aged between 22 and 25 (one male and one female), are currently undergoing treatment at the same private hospital where they were employed. Reports indicate they are in critical condition, receiving intensive care, including ventilator support in an isolation ward within the ICU. Samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for final confirmatory testing.
West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, addressing the media on January 12, confirmed the patients are under close observation and treatment, with contact-tracing and management plans already in place. She urged the public not to panic, to avoid spreading misinformation, and to adhere to hygiene precautions. State health officials have intensified surveillance across North 24 Parganas, Nadia, and Purba Bardhaman (East Burdwan) districts, where the nurses had traveled for personal reasons in late December 2025. High-risk contacts, including hospital staff who treated them, are being traced, quarantined, and tested.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced immediate coordinated action, deploying a National Joint Outbreak Response Team comprising experts from NIV Pune, National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) Chennai, AIIMS Kalyani, the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health in Kolkata, and the wildlife division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda assured West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of full technical, logistical, and operational support via phone and letter. Enhanced surveillance, laboratory support, case management, infection prevention and control measures, and expert guidance have been mobilized, with standard protocols shared with local authorities.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic paramyxovirus transmitted primarily from fruit bats (Pteropus species), the natural reservoir, to humans via contaminated food (such as raw date palm sap or fruits exposed to bat secretions), direct contact with infected animals (historically pigs as intermediate hosts), or human-to-human spread through close contact with bodily fluids like respiratory secretions, blood, or urine. In healthcare settings, nosocomial transmission has been documented, often from unprotected exposure to infected patients.
Symptoms typically appear 5–14 days after exposure and range from mild flu-like illness—including fever, headache, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, and vomiting—to severe complications such as acute respiratory distress, encephalitis (brain inflammation), seizures, coma, and death. The case fatality rate is estimated at 40–75%, varying by outbreak depending on surveillance, clinical management, and healthcare access; some outbreaks have seen rates approaching 90–100%.
In India, Nipah has caused sporadic but severe outbreaks since 2001. Earlier incidents occurred in West Bengal: a 2001 outbreak in Siliguri (66 cases, 45 deaths) and a 2007 cluster in Nadia district. The southern state of Kerala has experienced multiple outbreaks since 2018, including a major 2018 event in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts (23 cases, 17 deaths, CFR ~91%), largely nosocomial, followed by smaller incidents in 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025. These recurrent events in Kerala have honed national preparedness, but the emergence in West Bengal—close to historical hotspots and the Bangladesh border—underscores ongoing risks from bat-human interfaces and potential cross-border transmission.
Authorities emphasize that while the current cases are suspected and isolated, rapid response is critical given Nipah's epidemic potential and lack of approved vaccines or specific therapeutics. Public health measures include isolation protocols, personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, and community awareness campaigns. Officials continue to monitor developments closely, with the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre at the National Centre for Disease Control activated to coordinate the national response.
This incident highlights the persistent threat of emerging zoonotic diseases in India, urging sustained vigilance, wildlife surveillance, and investment in rapid diagnostic capabilities.
