KOLKATA: One of the two nurses infected by the Nipah virus in West Bengal has died after prolonged treatment at a private hospital in North 24 Parganas district. The nurse had been on life support with ventilator assistance since the second week of January. This marks the first recorded death from the deadly virus in the state.
The second nurse, a male colleague who was also infected, has since been discharged after his condition improved.
According to sources in the state health department, no new Nipah cases have been reported so far. Both patients were employees of the same private hospital.
Hospital officials stated that the deceased nurse succumbed to severe multi-organ damage caused by the virus. The two patients, aged 25 and 27, were from East Bardhaman and Nadia districts respectively. They had been receiving treatment in the hospital’s critical care unit (CCU) since 6 January.
Initially, both developed symptoms including headache, sore throat, altered consciousness, seizures and fever. They were first admitted to government healthcare facilities in East Bardhaman and East Midnapore districts before being transferred to the private hospital in Barasat, where they worked, after their condition worsened.
Samples of their cerebrospinal fluid and throat swabs tested positive for the Nipah virus at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) laboratory in Kalyani, North 24 Parganas.
Following confirmation of the cases, health alerts were issued at several airports, including in Thailand and Nepal, where surveillance was heightened and passengers arriving from West Bengal were screened.
More than two weeks ago, the Union Health Ministry clarified that only two confirmed cases had been reported since December and dismissed circulating figures as “speculative and incorrect”. According to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 196 contacts linked to the confirmed cases were identified, traced, monitored and tested. All were found to be asymptomatic and tested negative.
The ministry confirmed that no additional cases have been detected.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans. It can also spread through contaminated food or direct person-to-person contact. The virus primarily spreads through fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, but can also infect pigs and other animals including goats, horses, dogs and cats.
In humans, infection can range from asymptomatic illness to acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis. Symptoms typically begin within 4 to 14 days and resemble influenza, including fever, headache, cough, sore throat and muscle pain. In severe cases, the disease progresses to brain inflammation, leading to drowsiness, confusion, seizures, coma and potentially death. The mortality rate ranges between 40 and 75 per cent.
There is currently no specific medication or vaccine for Nipah virus. Prevention relies on strict infection control measures, including the use of protective equipment, surface disinfection, and avoiding contact with sick animals or areas affected by outbreaks.