The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed a new Nipah virus outbreak in India, triggering heightened disease surveillance by global health authorities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described Nipah as a rare but serious disease after two cases were recorded in West Bengal State.
The latest infections involve a female and a male nurse from Barasat who developed symptoms in late December 2025 and were hospitalized in early January 2026.
Health officials are now monitoring contacts and strengthening response measures to prevent further spread.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic pathogen, meaning it spreads from animals to humans. WHO identifies fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, as the primary natural hosts.
These bats are common in parts of the Indian Ocean region, South-East Asia, India, and Oceania.
Human infection can occur through direct contact with infected animals or through food contaminated by bat saliva, urine, or droppings. Consumption of raw date palm sap has been repeatedly linked to past outbreaks.
The virus can also spread between (read here) people through close physical contact with an infected individual, especially in caregiving or healthcare settings. That makes early detection and strict infection control critical.
Initial symptoms resemble common viral illness and include fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat.
Symptoms typically appear within about 14 days after exposure. Because these signs are nonspecific, early cases can be missed without proper surveillance and laboratory testing.
Nipah virus was first identified during an outbreak in Malaysia in 1998. Since then, cases have been reported in Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and Singapore. Outbreak patterns often connect to bat exposure and certain food practices.
WHO reports a case fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 percent, depending on outbreak conditions and response quality. There is currently no licensed vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.
Prevention depends on public awareness, avoiding contaminated food, reducing exposure to bats, and enforcing strict infection control in healthcare environments.
