In a sobering update for West Bengal’s health sector, a 25-year-old nurse has tragically passed away on February 12, 2026marking the first death in the state linked to the Nipah virus in recent history.
The nurse, who had been battling the infection since early January, succumbed to a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Barasat, North 24 Parganas district.
The Case Details
The Victim: A young female nurse and resident of Katwa in Purba Bardhaman district. She first fell ill in early January after returning home for the New Year holidays.
Prolonged Battle: She had been in a coma for several weeks. While she had technically tested negative for the virus toward the end of January and was taken off ventilator support, the infection had severely weakened her immunity and caused multi-organ damage.
Sudden Deterioration: Just as she was showing signs of improvement—trying to move her limbs and speak—her condition suddenly deteriorated on Thursday afternoon, leading to a fatal cardiac arrest at approximately 4:20 PM.
Secondary Complications: Medical officials noted that she suffered from multiple complications, including a lung infection and a hospital-acquired infection, following her long period in critical care.
The Outbreak Context
Two Cases Confirmed: The nurse was one of two healthcare workers at the same private hospital in Barasat who tested positive for Nipah on January 11, 2026.
The Survivor: The second patient, a male nurse, recovered successfully and was discharged earlier in January.
Containment Success: Health officials confirmed that a total of 196 contacts were traced, monitored, and tested following these cases; all of them tested negative, indicating that there is no active spread in the state currently.
What is Nipah Virus?
According to the WHO, the Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease (transmitted from animals like fruit bats to humans). It is highly fatal, with a mortality rate ranging between 40% and 75%. Symptoms include fever, headache, respiratory distress, and in severe cases, brain inflammation (encephalitis) leading to a coma.
Read More: Beyond the Negative Test Why Cardiac Arrest Claimed West Bengal’s Nipah Victim
Comments are closed.