Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal, India
A Nipah virus outbreak has recently emerged in West Bengal, India, centered around Barasat near Kolkata, with five confirmed cases as of late January 2026.
The outbreak began with two nurses (one male, one female) at a private hospital in Barasat who tested positive after treating a patient who later died. Three additional healthcare workers—a doctor, nurse, and health worker—were infected at the same facility, bringing the total to five; patients have been transferred to an infectious diseases hospital in Beleghata, Kolkata. Nearly 100 contacts are under quarantine and observation.
West Bengal authorities are conducting contact tracing and surveillance, with the male nurse improving but the female nurse in critical condition in ICU. India’s Ministry of Health has issued nationwide advisories for monitoring acute encephalitis cases linked to West Bengal travel, while other countries like Taiwan and Hong Kong are heightening alerts.
Nipah virus (NiV) is a bat-borne zoonotic pathogen with no vaccine or cure, spread via infected animals, contaminated food, or close human contact; it has a high fatality rate. India has seen recurrent outbreaks since 2001, mainly in West Bengal and Kerala.
