Nurse who recovered from Nipah infection dies of cardiac arrest in Bengal hospital

Kolkata: A nurse who had recovered from Nipah virus infection died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in West Bengal's Barasat on Thursday, a state health department official said.

The woman had been in a prolonged coma, which severely affected her immunity, and later developed a lung infection. She had been taken off ventilator support at the end of January.

"She died of cardiac arrest this afternoon. Though she had recovered from Nipah infection, she was suffering from multiple complications," the official said.

Two confirmed cases of Nipah Virus disease have been reported from West Bengal since December, according to reports from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The other one, a male nurse, has been cured of the disease.

"Out of the two Nipah positive cases reported from West Bengal on January 11, 2026, one of the nurses who was critically ill and was under intensive medical care passed away today due to cardiac arrest in the hospital where she was under treatment," the Union Health Ministry said.

The ministry earlier had earlier said that speculative and incorrect figures about Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) cases were being circulated in certain sections of the media.

It had said that following confirmation of these two cases, the Centre, in close coordination with the West Bengal government, initiated prompt and comprehensive public health measures in accordance with established protocols.

"A total of 196 contacts linked to the confirmed cases have been identified, traced, monitored, and tested. All traced contacts have been found asymptomatic and have tested negative for Nipah Virus Disease," the ministry had said in its earlier statement.

Enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing, and field investigations were undertaken through coordinated efforts of Central and state health agencies, which ensured the timely containment of the cases, it had added.