Nipah fear grows as cases emerge from West Bengal. So far, two cases have been identified. The health condition of one of the two nurses who tested positive for the Nipah virus has improved, while the other continues to remain “very critical”, a senior official of the West Bengal Health Department told news agency PTI. “The condition of the male nurse is improving, but the woman patient remains very critical. Both of them are being treated in the ICCU.”Following Nipah cases in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu government has increased disease surveillance.Nipah is scary because of its high fatality rate. “Nipah virus is a highly dangerous zoonotic infection with a high fatality rate, ranging from 40% to over 70% in past outbreaks. Majorly, the virus inflicts severe brain inflammation (encephalitis) and acute respiratory failure, and the survivors may end up having long-lasting neurological impairments. The virus is naturally transmitted from fruit bats to humans in a couple of ways, the first one being through bat secretions, and the second one being indirectly through contaminated food or raw sap from palm trees. There is also the possibility of person-to-person transmission through close interaction with infected bodily fluids,” says Dr. Aishwarya R, Consultant – Infectious Diseases, Aster RV Hospital.Nipah virus might not be something you hear about every day, but it’s definitely one to pay attention to. It’s a virus that jumps from animals to humans, usually from bats or pigs, and once it infects a person, it can cause serious illness. What makes it scary is how fast it can get dangerous.

One reason it doesn’t make headlines as often as flu or COVID is that it’s rare and tends to emerge in specific regions, mostly parts of South and Southeast Asia. That’s why awareness is low—many people don’t even know it exists until an outbreak happens close to home. And unlike the common flu, there’s no specific cure or vaccine widely available yet, which makes prevention and early detection even more critical.It spreads through close contact with infected animals or people, or even by consuming raw date palm sap contaminated by bats. So basically, it’s not something you catch from just walking past someone, it requires pretty direct exposure. Still, that direct exposure can be deadly if people aren’t careful.“Initially, the symptoms are often mild and therefore, easily overlooked. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle weakness, sore throat, vomiting and fatigue—very similar to the symptoms of viral fever or flu. When the disease gets more severe, it brings about very disturbing signs like dizziness, confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures and difficulty in breathing,” the doctor adds.The doctor suggests avoiding fallen /bitten fruits, unpasteurized date palm sap and thoroughly washing fruits prior to consumption. “Limiting contact with bats and sick animals, and strict infection-control measures while caring for suspected patients,” recommends the doctor. “Early medical attention and initiation of antiviral therapy can help save lives, prevent profound neurological impairment and limit transmission to close contacts,” the expert urges. Medical experts consulted This article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by: Dr. Aishwarya R, Consultant – Infectious Diseases, Aster RV HospitalInputs were used to explain preventive measures against Nipah virus infection.