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West Bengal Nurse Succumbs to Nipah Virus, First Fatality in a Decade

A nurse infected with the Nipah virus has died of cardiac arrest in West Bengal, marking the state's first such fatality in ten years. Health authorities confirmed two cases from December 2025 and have identified and tested 196 contacts, all of whom are asymptomatic and negative. Officials are urging the public to rely on verified information amid media speculation about case numbers. A health expert warns the virus spreads from bats to humans and between people, with severe symptoms including potential brain infection.

Key Points: Nipah Virus Death in West Bengal: Nurse Dies of Cardiac Arrest

  • First Nipah death in West Bengal in a decade
  • 196 contacts traced and tested negative
  • Public urged to trust official health sources
  • Virus has high mortality rate and human transmission risk
2 min read

West Bengal nurse infected with Nipah virus dies of cardiac arrest, confirms health department

A nurse infected with Nipah virus dies in West Bengal, marking the state's first such fatality in a decade. Health officials confirm contact tracing efforts.

"The problem with Nipah is that it can also spread from patient to patient. - Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan"

Kolkata, February 12

In a first for the decade, the nurse who was infected with Nipah virus died of a cardiac arrest in West Bengal on Thursday, the state health department said.

Earlier, the state of West Bengal reported two confirmed cases of Nipah Virus Disease from December 2025 to date, according to reports from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Following confirmation of these two cases, the Government of India, in close coordination with the Government of West Bengal, promptly initiated comprehensive public health measures in accordance with established protocols.

A total of 196 contacts linked to the confirmed cases were identified, traced, monitored, and tested. All traced contacts have been found asymptomatic and have tested negative for Nipah Virus Disease, the release read.

The situation is being closely monitored, and all necessary public health measures are in place.

In response to the circulation of speculative and incorrect figures regarding Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) in certain sections of the media, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has advised the public and media to rely strictly on verified information from official sources.

Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, former President of IMA Cochin and Convener of the Research Cell, Kerala, on Monday warned that the Nipah virus spreads from bats to humans and can cause severe illness with a high mortality rate, stressing the importance of early detection to prevent further spread.

In a video message, Jayadevan said, "The initial symptoms are fever, body ache, headache, but in people who develop brain infection after that, they may get seizures or epilepsy, confusion, paralysis or coma. The symptoms are similar to those of other types of brain infection caused by other viruses. Sometimes a diagnosis of Nipah can be missed because it is not specifically tested for. The problem with Nipah is that it can also spread from patient to patient. So it's extremely important to identify the first patient who develops the infection," he added.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good that they traced 196 contacts and all tested negative. Shows the system is working better than before. But the key point is early detection, as the doctor said. We need more awareness about the symptoms in rural areas.
A
Arun Y
The advisory about not spreading speculation is crucial. During Covid, fake forwards caused so much panic. Please everyone, only share info from MoHFW or state health dept. Let's not make things worse.
S
Sarah B
Working in public health here, I appreciate the coordinated response. However, the article mentions this is the first case in a decade. It begs the question - are our surveillance systems robust enough to catch sporadic cases in between outbreaks? A respectful critique: we must invest in routine zoonotic disease screening.
V
Vikram M
Bat-to-human transmission is scary because you can't avoid bats in many parts of our country. The focus should be on preventing spillover. Are there any public guidelines on avoiding raw date palm sap, which is a known carrier?
K
Kavya N
Om Shanti. A brave life lost in service. Let's hope the situation remains contained. The silver lining is that the health machinery seems to have swung into action quickly this time. Stay safe, Bengal.

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