Nipah virus reemerged in India's West Bengal state in late December 2025, with two confirmed cases among nurses at a Barasat hospital—both now improving or recovering after early January hospitalization, marking the region's third outbreak since 1998.
Authorities swiftly contained it: 196 contacts tested negative, no further cases as of February 1, 2026, and WHO rates sub-national risk moderate due to Nipah's 40-75% fatality rate, lack of vaccine/treatment, and bat-to-human origins via contaminated food or droplets. Symptoms start mild (fever, headache) but escalate to encephalitis and coma within days, complicating early detection. Asia-wide alerts triggered airport screenings in Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal, Singapore, and Vietnam—no regional spread reported.
India's National Joint Outbreak Response Team boosted surveillance, contact tracing, and public education on avoiding bat fruits/droppings, while clinicians enforce isolation protocols. Global toll since 1998: ~750 cases, 415 deaths; Kerala's prior outbreaks contained similarly fast.
