27 January 2026·PIB

Only Two Nipah Virus Disease Cases Reported in West Bengal Since Last December: NCDC

In this note

1. At a Glance

Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) is a zoonotic, high-mortality (CFR 40–75%) infection caused by a Henipavirus (family Paramyxoviridae); WHO R&D Blueprint priority pathogen [2].
Two confirmed cases in West Bengal (Dec 2025–Jan 2026); NCDC clarified media "speculative figures" — only 2 cases, 196 contacts traced, all negative [1][3].
Relevant for GS-II (Health Governance, NCDC role) and GS-III (S&T, One Health, epidemic preparedness).

27 Jan 2026: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / NCDC clarified that only 2 NiVD cases reported in West Bengal since December 2025; 196 contacts traced, asymptomatic, all tested negative [1].
WHO Disease Outbreak News (DON593, Jan 2026) notified: two nurses (aged 20–30) at a private hospital in Barasat, North 24 Parganas; confirmation by ICMR-NIV Pune on 13 Jan 2026; no deaths reported [3].

1998–99: Virus first identified among pig farmers in Sungai Nipah, Malaysia [2].
2001: First Indian outbreak — Siliguri, West Bengal [3].
2007: Second Indian outbreak — Nadia district, West Bengal [3].
2018 onwards: Recurrent outbreaks in Kerala (Kozhikode, Ernakulam, Malappuram) [2][3].
Jan 2026: Third recorded West Bengal outbreak — Barasat hospital cluster [3].

Pathogen: Nipah virus (NiV), genus Henipavirus, family Paramyxoviridae [2].
Natural host: Fruit bats of family Pteropodidae (genus Pteropus) [2].
Transmission: Bat→human via contaminated date-palm sap/fruits; human-to-human via close contact (esp. healthcare settings); pig intermediates (Malaysia outbreak) [2].
Incubation: 3–14 days (up to 45 days rare) [2].
CFR: 40–75% [2].
Treatment: No licensed antiviral; supportive care only [2].
Vaccine: None licensed; candidates in development [2].
Nodal Indian agency: National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under MoHFW; confirmatory testing at ICMR-NIV Pune [1][3].
Current cluster: 2 cases, 196 contacts traced, all asymptomatic, all NiV-negative; Mobile BSL-3 lab deployed [1][3].
WHO risk assessment: Moderate (sub-national), low (national/global) [3].

Scientific / Technological
Confirmatory diagnostics rely on RT-PCR at ICMR-NIV Pune; deployment of mobile BSL-3 lab to West Bengal shows surge capacity [3].
Listed among WHO priority pathogens for accelerated R&D given pandemic potential [2].
Administrative / Governance
Centre–State coordination: MoHFW + Govt of West Bengal mobilised contact tracing, isolation, hospital IPC; NCDC monitors and counters misinformation [1].
WHO notification under IHR 2005 within 13 days of NIV-Pune confirmation [3].
Social / Public Health
Both cases were nurses (20–30 yrs) — underscores healthcare-worker vulnerability and need for nosocomial IPC [3].
Rumour management and risk communication central to outbreak control [1].
Environmental / One Health
WHO notes investigations under "One Health" coordinated approach linking human, animal, environmental surveillance [3].
Spillover linked to Pteropus habitat overlap, raw date-palm sap consumption in eastern India [2].
Geopolitical / Strategic
India is a WHO South-East Asia Region hotspot; recurrent outbreaks shape global pandemic preparedness narrative [2][3].

Late Dec 2025: Symptom onset in two nurses, Barasat private hospital [3].
13 Jan 2026: NIV-Pune confirms NiV in both samples [3].
21 Jan 2026: One patient on mechanical ventilation, other improving [3].
26 Jan 2026: India formally notifies WHO [3].
27 Jan 2026: NCDC/MoHFW press release rebutting inflated media figures; confirms 2 cases, 196 contacts negative [1].

Nipah virus belongs to genus Henipavirus, family Paramyxoviridae [2].
Natural reservoir: Pteropus fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) [2].
First identified: Malaysia, 1998–99 (Sungai Nipah village) [2].
Case fatality rate: 40–75% [2].
WHO R&D Blueprint priority disease [2].
Incubation period: 3–14 days (up to 45 days) [2].
First Indian outbreak: Siliguri, West Bengal, 2001 [3].
Second outbreak: Nadia, West Bengal, 2007 [3].
2026 cluster location: Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal [3].
Confirmatory testing agency: ICMR-NIV, Pune [3].
Nodal monitoring body: National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), MoHFW [1].
Contacts traced in 2026 cluster: 196, all asymptomatic & test-negative [1].
WHO risk assessment for 2026 outbreak: Moderate sub-national, low national/global [3].
No licensed vaccine or antiviral available [2].
Notified to WHO under IHR 2005; One Health approach used [3].

GS-II: Issues relating to Health — Government policies, NCDC's role, Centre–State coordination in disease outbreaks.
GS-III: Science & Technology — Biotechnology, emerging infectious diseases; Disaster Management — biological disasters.
Question stems: 1. "Recurrent Nipah outbreaks in India expose the need for an institutionalised One Health framework. Discuss." 2. "Examine the role of NCDC and ICMR-NIV in India's epidemic preparedness with reference to the 2026 West Bengal Nipah cluster." 3. "Healthcare-worker infections in zoonotic outbreaks reflect systemic IPC weaknesses. Critically analyse."

Wrong family: Nipah is Paramyxoviridae, NOT Filoviridae (Ebola) or Coronaviridae.
Wrong reservoir: Natural host is fruit bat (Pteropus), NOT pig — pigs are intermediate amplifying hosts (Malaysia 1998 only).
Wrong nodal lab: Confirmatory testing is at ICMR-NIV Pune, not AIIMS or NCDC labs.
Wrong first outbreak in India: It was Siliguri (2001), not Kerala — Kerala outbreaks began 2018.
Confusing case-count: Media circulated inflated figures; NCDC confirms only 2 cases in WB Dec 2025–Jan 2026 [1].