Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Jan 28: Even as dengue, malaria and Covid-19 remain widely recognised across India, the Nipah virus continues to be a rare but highly dangerous infection that many people still know little about, health experts have warned.
Nipah is a zoonotic virus, meaning it spreads from animals to humans. Fruit bats are considered the primary carriers, and transmission can occur through contact with bat saliva or urine, contaminated fruits, raw date palm sap, or close contact with an infected person.
According to reports, two cases of Nipah virus infection have been traced in West Bengal since December, raising fresh concern and prompting stricter airport screening measures in parts of Asia. Countries such as Thailand and Nepal have reportedly tightened health screening protocols for passengers.
India has previously recorded Nipah outbreaks — first in West Bengal in the early 2000s, and later in Kerala from 2018 onwards, with a few small outbreaks and isolated cases since then.
While Nipah infections remain rare, doctors caution that the virus can turn severe quickly, often starting with fever, headache and body pain, before progressing to serious respiratory issues and brain inflammation (encephalitis).
Dr Deep Das, Neurologist at CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI, said the virus first replicates in the upper respiratory tract before entering the bloodstream and spreading to various organs.
“Nipah presents one of its most hazardous characteristics through its ability to create blood vessel damage… it permits the virus to cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain,” he said, adding that it can cause extreme brain swelling and life-threatening encephalitis.
He further warned that symptoms may escalate from fever and muscle pain to confusion, lethargy, seizures and loss of consciousness, requiring immediate diagnosis, isolation and critical care.
Health experts have urged people to take basic precautions, including avoiding raw date palm sap, not consuming fallen or bitten fruits, washing fruits thoroughly, and reporting symptoms early in high-risk areas.
Medical professionals stressed that awareness is key, not panic, and that even a small number of cases is serious given the virus’ high fatality rate.