Nipah Virus Detected In West Bengal: Infected Nurses Still Critical, One Slips into Coma; COVID Time Drug Remdesivir Administered
Nipah Virus In West Bengal: One of the patients has reportedly gone into a coma, while the other person remained in ventilator support. Everything about the virus and the vaccine Remdesivir.
Nipah Virus Returns: Both the infected patients in West Bengal's Barasat (North-24 Parganas district) is still critical. According to the reports, one of the patients has reportedly gone into a coma, while the other person remained in ventilator support on Tuesday (January 13, 2026). They are being treated in isolation.
Officials have stated that both patients were on duty in the hospital for the last few days. They had a fever during these days after which they were admitted. During their treatment, they developed high fever with chills, extreme breathing issues, and other severe pneumonia-like symptoms.
"Both the patients are critical. They are currently undergoing treatment. The vaccine which was used during the COVID times - Remdesivir, has been given to both of them," sources said.
Nipah Virus Returns After 19 Years: How Deadly Is The Virus?
After almost 19 years, the highly contagious and lethal virus strain NiV has returned to West Bengal.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus has a mortality rate ranging from 45 to 75 percent and has neither a specific treatment nor a preventive vaccine, making it one of the most dangerous zoonotic pathogens known.
Why is the vaccine returning? Speaking to the media about what authorities are doing right now to contain the spread of the virus, state health officials noted that their team is tracing contacts of the two patients and testing all those who may have been exposed to the virus.
"As of now, we are yet to pinpoint how these nurses caught the infection, but their condition remains critical," a source in the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the health ministry said.
Nipah Virus: All About The NiV Infection
This is the ninth recorded outbreak of Nipah virus in India since it was first identified in Malaysia in 1999.
With West Bengal seeing a sudden emergence of the deadly virus, let's learn some characters that makes it different and deadly.
Nipah virus (NiV) is a rare but extremely dangerous viral infection that is transmitted via infected fruit bats. First identified in 1999, this virus is highly lethal and can spread rapidly if precautions is not taken on time.
Health experts warn that Nipah has a very high fatality rate, ranging from 40% to 75%, depending on outbreak response and healthcare access. The virus affects the brain and lungs, making it especially deadly.
Deadly Symptoms of Nipah Virus Infection
What makes the virus so deadly? Talking about the nature of the NiV virus, experts have noted that - "The speed at which Nipah progresses is what makes it particularly frightening."
While common symptoms may persist for a few days and then slowly getting better, in severe cases patients can develop severe infections within the body leading to respiratory failure and coma in a matter of days.
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