Suspected Nipah virus cases in West Bengal: What's happening?

India Jan 13, 2026

Two nurses from the same hospital in Barasat, West Bengal, are seriously ill with suspected Nipah virus after having gone home to East Midnapore and East Burdwan in December.
Both are on ventilators, and contact tracing has begun for people they may have come into contact with.

How the government is responding

Officials aren't wasting any time—samples have been rushed to Pune's National Institute of Virology for confirmation.
The Union health ministry is working closely with the state, and special meetings with district medical officers are already underway.
With a 70% mortality rate linked to Nipah, authorities say they're monitoring things closely and following strict protocols to keep everyone safe.