Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : January 13, 2026 2:03 PM IST
Nipah Death In Kerala: State On High Alert After Plakkad Man Dies of Nipah Virus Complications, Hundreds Feared Exposed
Nipah Virus Detected In Kolkata: Almost seven years since the world battled the deadly COVID-19 virus, another infection is triggering fresh cases in the city of West Bengal.
Nipah Virus, also called the NiV virus infection has returned, and has reportedly infected two patients in Kolkata.
As per reports, two nurses have shown positive signs of Nipah virus and are on life support at a private hospital in North 24 Parganas' Barasat, around 26 km from Kolkata.
Officials have stated that both of them have been shifted to the ICU and are kept in isolation.
Talking to the media, Health officials states that - "The blood samples collected from both the nurses, a man and a woman, were sent to the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, ICMR, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kalyani, around 50 km north of Kolkata in Nadia, and a report has been sent to Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department HQ."
Nipah virus infection is caused by the highly pathogenic zoonotic virus called Human Nipah virus (NiV). The virus is known for its high transmissibility rate from animals to humans.
As per reports, the virus has the transmissibility rate of 40 per cent to 75 per cent.
The Human Nipah virus (NiV) infection was first recognised in an outbreak of 276 reported cases in Malaysia and Singapore from September 1998 to May 1999.
How to know if you are infected with the highly dangerous NiV virus or it's normal flu infection? Here are some warning signs you should never ignore:
What are the most common signs of Nipah virus infection that a patient is expected to develop after contracting the virus?
According to The World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection can cause these common symptoms: Fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, sore throat and in extreme cases patients may develop dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, acute encephalitis, severe respiratory distress and seizures.
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