India Struggles To Contain Outbreak Of Deadly Nipah Virus

• 25.01.2026, 15:45

There is no vaccine or treatment for the virus, and the fatality rate is as high as 80%.

Indian authorities have set up a response team to prevent the spread of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV), an outbreak of which has been reported in the state of West Bengal, reports The Independent. So far, five cases of infection have been confirmed, including among doctors and nurses. More than a hundred people have been placed under quarantine, with patients being treated in hospitals in the state capital, Kolkata. One ill person is in critical condition.

The Nipah virus is a pathogen that is spread by bats, as in the case of covid. It is transmitted from animals to humans or through contaminated food, causing severe forms of encephalitis and respiratory infections. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. Nipah can also be accompanied by coughing, shortness of breath, and pneumonia. There is no vaccine or treatment for the virus, and the lethality rate for the disease reaches 80% - this is ten times higher than for Covid-19.

Doctors say that in addition to general malaise, Nipah can cause complications in the form of partial or complete paralysis. Failure of all organs and body systems occurs. It is not uncommon to end up with a fatal outcome.