A national joint outbreak response team has been deployed to prevent the spread of the virus. Given the high mortality rate and the absence of a licensed vaccine, understanding this threat is critical to public safety.
What is Nipah virus and why is it dangerous?
Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus that spreads from animals to humans. It is considered a major threat to public health due to its high mortality rate, which typically ranges from 40% to 75% and in some cases exceeds 90%. The virus causes a rapid, frightening progression from mild flu-like symptoms to acute respiratory distress and fatal encephalitis, a severe inflammation of the brain that can lead to coma within 24 to 48 hours.
Nipah virus is a major threat to public health due to its high mortality rate – usually 40% to 75% and in some cases over 90%.
How does the virus spread from animals to humans and between humans?
The natural reservoirs of the virus are bats, specifically the species Pteropus or “flying foxes”. People usually catch the virus by eating food contaminated with bat secretions, such as drinking raw date juice or eating bat-bitten fruit.
Once a person is infected, the virus can be spread to others through close contact with bodily fluids – blood, urine or saliva. This transmission is particularly dangerous in a hospital environment where healthcare workers may be exposed to respiratory droplets or secretions when providing care without personal protective equipment.
What is the history of the virus in India and abroad?
The Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1998 and has emerged as a recurring zoonotic threat in India and Bangladesh.
In India, the virus first appeared in Siliguri, West Bengal, in 2001, where 66 people were affected, primarily through hospital-acquired transmission. A second outbreak occurred in Nadia district of West Bengal in 2007.
Since 2018, there have been repeated outbreaks in Kerala, with one of the deadliest in 2018 resulting in 17 deaths.
These patterns suggest that while the virus is geographically limited, “spillover” from bats to humans is becoming more common as a result of environmental changes.
What does the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) say about potential treatments?
According to the ICMR, India is working to develop domestic countermeasures against viral infections as there is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment. The most promising candidate is the monoclonal antibody m102.4, which prevents the virus from entering cells. The antibody showed strong protection in animal models and was found to be safe in phase 1 clinical trials.
While definitive human efficacy data are still being collected, the antibody has been used in Australia under compassionate use protocols and was made available to Kerala during recent outbreaks. ICMR is looking for Indian companies to manufacture these antibodies.
Experts said that the symptoms of Nipah infection may initially look like a common viral fever, but neurological symptoms or respiratory problems are a warning sign.
“Samples should be handled with extreme caution. RT-PCR testing and close coordination with reference laboratories are essential to confirm cases without delay,” said Dr. Aakaar Kapoor, Founder and Designated Partner of City Imaging & Clinical Labs, a medical diagnostics company in New Delhi.
What is the government doing to fight the virus?
The government activated PHEOC and deployed experts from the National Institute of Virology and the National Center for Disease Control to conduct rigorous contact tracing.
Current efforts focus on early diagnosis, strict isolation and public awareness, reflecting lessons from past sudden escalations.
In the past, the government has suppressed outbreaks with aggressive “test-track-treat” strategies and by upgrading safety protocols at medical schools, providing protective gear to professionals and implementing strict infection control.
Why is the case of West Bengal worrisome?
The situation in West Bengal has raised a high level of alarm as the suspected patients are health workers. This mirrors the 2001 Siliguri outbreak, where 75% of the 66 cases were hospital-acquired.
When the virus spreads in a clinical setting, it requires the immediate activation of Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) protocols and strict isolation of primary contacts to prevent a wider outbreak. BSL-4 is the highest level of biological containment, reserved for work with extremely dangerous and often fatal pathogens for which there are no known vaccines or treatments.
“Treatment remains largely supportive and focuses on managing symptoms and preventing complications. Vigilance, early diagnosis, strict isolation and public awareness remain the most powerful tools to prevent a small outbreak from growing into a larger health crisis,” said Dr. Pranjit Bhowmik, Chairman of Internal Medicine (Unit-I) at Faridabad-based Asian Institute of Medical Sciences.
