India has reported its first death from the latest Nipah virus outbreak, a 25-year-old nurse in West Bengal state, according to health authorities. The woman died in hospital after developing complications including a secondary lung infection and cardiac arrest.
The nurse was one of two confirmed cases in the eastern state. The second patient, a 27-year-old male nurse from the same hospital, has recovered and been discharged. Extensive contact tracing was conducted, with around 200 people monitored, but all contacts tested negative and no further infections have been detected.
The death in India came days after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed a woman died of Nipah in neighbouring Bangladesh. The patient, in her 40s, developed symptoms on 21 January including fever, headaches, hyper-salivation, disorientation and convulsions. She died a week later, having consumed raw date palm sap. All 35 contacts tested negative but remain under monitoring.
Nipah is a zoonotic virus transmitted from animals to humans, primarily through fruit bats or contaminated food. It can cause fever, headaches, respiratory symptoms and, in severe cases, encephalitis and respiratory failure. The fatality rate ranges from 40 to 75 per cent, depending on care quality. There is no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.
Precautionary measures have been introduced in several Asian nations, including health screenings at airports. The UK Health Security Agency has advised travellers to affected areas to seek medical advice if symptoms develop after returning. The WHO reiterated that the risk of international spread remains low.
Health authorities in West Bengal say surveillance remains active, but no new cases have emerged since the initial cluster was identified in December. Nipah outbreaks have occurred periodically in Bangladesh and India over the past two decades, most frequently in Kerala.
