KOLKATA, India, February 12 (ANI): A nurse infected with the Nipah virus died of cardiac arrest in West Bengal on Thursday, marking the first such fatality in the state this decade, according to the state health department.
Earlier, West Bengal reported two confirmed cases of Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) from December 2025 to date, based on reports from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Following confirmation of the cases, the Government of India, in close coordination with the West Bengal government, initiated comprehensive public health measures in accordance with established protocols. A total of 196 individuals identified as contacts of the confirmed cases were traced, monitored, and tested. All traced contacts were found to be asymptomatic and tested negative for Nipah Virus Disease, according to an official release.
Authorities said the situation is being closely monitored and that all necessary public health measures remain in place.
In response to what it described as speculative and inaccurate figures circulating in sections of the media, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare advised the public and media outlets to rely strictly on verified information from official sources.
Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, former President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Cochin and Convener of its Research Cell, earlier warned that the Nipah virus can spread from bats to humans and may cause severe illness with a high mortality rate. He emphasized the importance of early detection to prevent further transmission.
In a video message, Dr. Jayadevan said initial symptoms include fever, body aches, and headache. In severe cases involving brain infection, patients may experience seizures, confusion, paralysis, or coma. He noted that symptoms can resemble other forms of viral brain infections, and Nipah may be missed if not specifically tested for.
He also cautioned that the virus can spread from person to person, underscoring the critical need to identify the first infected patient to contain the outbreak. (ANI)
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