Nipah patient dies in West Bengal’s Barasat

One of the nurses infected by the Nipah virus in West Bengal’s Barasat died on Thursday (February 12, 2026) afternoon. The other nurse recovered and has been discharged. Two Nipah virus cases were detected at a private hospital in Barasat on January 11. 

Both nurses, one male and one female, had Nipah-like symptoms, tested positive in January, and slipped into coma. The female patient remained critical for a longer time, showed signs of recovery at the end of January, was taken off the ventilator, but developed breathing issues again. She developed a secondary infection in her lungs and was put back on the ventilator on Wednesday (February 11). She passed away on Thursday (February 12, 2026).

Also Read | Only two Nipah virus disease cases reported in West Bengal since December 2025, says Health Ministry

The male nurse tested negative, showed signs of better physical health, and was released from hospital last week.

The patients were treated at the private medical facility at which they were working in Barasat in North 24 Parganas district.

Over 120 people who had come into contact with them were isolated and tested for the virus, but all the tests returned negative.

On February 6, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that one person had died in Bangladesh after contracting the Nipah virus.

On Wednesday (February 11, 2026), at a press briefing in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said three cases of the Nipah virus had been detected in India and Bangladesh in the past few weeks.

Also Read | Nipah virus detected in West Bengal: know about the virus and its symptoms

“The two outbreaks are not related although both occurred along the India-Bangladesh border. WHO is working with India and Bangladesh for risk assessment, follow-up of contacts, and community engagement,” the WHO Director-General said.

The global health body has assessed the status and said it did not point to a broader outbreak or transmission of the Nipah virus.