Officials Report Outbreak of Deadly Nipah Virus, Which Has No Cure

AOL.com • January 25, 2026 • health

Key Points:

Two nurses at a private hospital near Kolkata, West Bengal, have been infected with the deadly Nipah virus, with one nurse currently in a coma; the likely source of infection was a patient who died before being tested.
Health authorities have tested 180 people in the region and quarantined 20 individuals who had high-risk contact with the infected nurses, with all tests so far returning negative.
Surveillance efforts include testing bats at Kolkata's Alipore Zoo to rule out infection, as the virus is zoonotic and can spread from animals to humans.
Nipah virus causes severe illness ranging from respiratory distress to fatal encephalitis, has no vaccine or cure, and spreads through contact with infected animals or contaminated fruit products,