A 42-year-old woman in Malappuram, Kerala, was admitted to a private hospital with severe symptoms resembling encephalitis. Just days later, her worst fears were confirmed — she had contracted the Nipah virus. On Thursday, the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune officially verified the infection, thrusting Kerala once again into the national spotlight as it battles another outbreak of this deadly zoonotic disease.

As Health Minister Veena George heads to Malappuram to monitor the containment strategies, public health concerns are intensifying, especially given the virus’s history in the state and the high fatality rate associated with it. Here’s everything you need to know about the Nipah virus, how it spreads, and why it’s resurfacing now.

Kerala is no stranger to the Nipah virus. Since 2018, the state has witnessed five outbreaks, leading to 22 confirmed deaths. The first outbreak in 2018 was particularly catastrophic — 17 of the 18 infected individuals died, leaving public health systems scrambling for solutions. Further cases occurred in 2019, 2021, and 2023, most commonly between May and September, the region’s monsoon season, which is also marked by a surge in respiratory infections and influenza-like illnesses.

These seasonal overlaps make early diagnosis challenging, as Nipah symptoms often mimic more common illnesses. In 2023 alone, Malappuram reported two deaths linked to the virus. Of all the confirmed infections since 2018, only six individuals have survived, underscoring the virus’s high mortality rate and the need for rapid medical intervention.

How the Virus Is Contracted?

Nipah virus is a zoonotic pathogen, meaning it spreads from animals to humans. Scientific investigations from previous outbreaks, including a joint field survey by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), found a clear link between fruit bats (commonly known as flying foxes) and human infections.

The virus strain detected in Kerala is closely related to the Bangladeshi strain, notorious for its person-to-person transmission and high mortality, estimated by experts to be up to 90% in some cases. In the 2023 outbreak, antibodies were found in fruit bats from Pandikkad village, strongly pointing to them as the source of the infection.

The consumption of contaminated fruits or exposure to bat saliva and urine on fruits is believed to be one of the primary routes of transmission in initial cases.

What is Nipah Virus?

First identified in Malaysia in 1998, Nipah virus gets its name from the village of Sungai Nipah, where the initial outbreak occurred. The virus belongs to the Henipavirus genus and has since been recognized as one of the world’s most dangerous pathogens due to its pandemic potential and high case fatality rate — estimated to range between 40% and 75%, depending on the outbreak response and healthcare access.

Early symptoms are often non-specific and include:

• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Vomiting
• Sore throat

As the disease progresses, some patients experience acute respiratory distress, neurological complications like encephalitis, seizures, and altered mental states, which may rapidly lead to coma or death.

Is the Virus Contagious and Airborne?

Yes, Nipah virus is both contagious and airborne. It spreads primarily through respiratory droplets, bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, feces, and blood, and via direct contact with infected individuals or animals.

Healthcare providers and family members caring for infected patients are particularly at risk. This is why strict infection control measures, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and isolation protocols, are crucial to preventing person-to-person spread.

Why Prevention Is Critical?

Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine available for Nipah virus. Medical care is supportive and symptomatic, focusing on:

Hydration and rest

Medications for fever and pain (e.g., acetaminophen, ibuprofen)

Treatment for nausea, seizures, and respiratory distress

Use of inhalers or nebulizers in case of breathing difficulties

Experimental therapies, such as monoclonal antibody treatments, are under research but not yet widely accessible. Given the lack of curative options, early detection and containment remain the most effective ways to manage an outbreak.

Containment Measures Followed in Kerala

Since the first outbreak, Kerala’s public health system has developed a robust protocol to respond to Nipah cases. Isolation wards, contact tracing, and real-time epidemiological surveillance are quickly deployed. The state has also worked closely with central agencies like NIV and WHO to bolster its diagnostic and response capabilities.

With this latest case in Malappuram, authorities are already mobilizing rapid response teams to trace contacts, disinfect the patient’s surroundings, and educate the public about symptoms and preventive measures.

Although most outbreaks have been localized to South and Southeast Asia, Nipah virus is considered a global threat. The World Health Organization (WHO) includes it on the list of priority diseases for research and development, due to its potential to cause widespread epidemics and the lack of available countermeasures.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also closely monitors Nipah virus, emphasizing the importance of global health surveillance systems. As climate change, deforestation, and wildlife trade continue to increase human-animal interactions, the risk of zoonotic spillovers like Nipah is on the rise.

The emergence of a new Nipah case in Kerala is a critical reminder of the interconnectedness of human and animal health. While the virus is not currently spreading globally, the high fatality rate, airborne nature, and lack of treatment options make it essential to remain vigilant.

For residents in affected areas and globally the best approach is a combination of early reporting, awareness about transmission, and adherence to public health guidelines.

For the first time, a baby boy has been born to a mother with a womb transplanted from a deceased donor at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea hospital in London.

Weighing merely 3.09kg (6lb 13oz), Hugo Powell was born to Grace Bell and Steve Powell from Kent, right before Christmas 2025. "It's simply a miracle. I never, ever thought that this would be possible," Bell said. "I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. When I was 16, I was told that this would never be possible," she said of her son's birth.

The father added: "When he came over the curtain, it was just sort of overwhelming emotions. I felt like I wanted to cry, but couldn't. From where we started - first meeting - to where we are today, with Hugo, is nothing short of a miracle after everything we've been through. It just felt quite unreal at the time, because this has been a long journey for us both."

The couple also paid tribute to the "kindness and selflessness" of their transplant donor and her family for their "incredible gift", while also thanking medical teams in Oxford and London who supported their journey.

"There are no words to say thank you enough to my donor and her family. Their kindness and selflessness to a complete stranger is the reason I have been able to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a mum.

"I hope they know that my child will always know of their incredible gift, and the miracle that brought him into this world," Bell said.

What Is Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Disorder?

Bell, an IT programme manager, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH), a disorder that causes the vagina and uterus to be underdeveloped or absent. MRKH syndrome is also called:

• Müllerian agenesis
• Müllerian aplasia
• Congenital absence of the uterus and vagina
• Rokitansky syndrome

While women with MRKH syndrome have normal external genitalia, functioning ovaries, breast and pubic hair development, they are unable to carry a pregnancy and rely on either surrogacy or a womb transplant, as in the case of Bell.

There are two versions of the disorder:

• Type 1: The patient has normally functioning ovaries and fallopian tubes but a blocked or missing upper vagina, cervix and uterus. No other organs are affected.
• Type 2: The patient has a blocked or missing upper vagina, cervix and uterus as well as issues with ovaries, fallopian tubes, spine, kidneys or other organs.

However, these genetic changes have been found in only a small number of affected people and subsequent studies have not identified a clear association between MRKH syndrome and any specific environmental factors. It remains unclears whether they actually cause MRKH syndrome.

Treatment for MRKH depends on the patient's goals and symptoms and some options include:

• Vaginal dilators: Dilators are made of plastic or silicone and vary in length and width. These tubelike devices help expand and stretch the inside of the vagina.
• Vaginoplasty: This is a surgical procedure to create a vagina. There are several ways surgeons perform vaginoplasty, but most involve creating a hole and lining it with tissue from another part of your body.
• Uterus transplant: This is a major surgery that involves placing a donor uterus inside someone without a uterus. Uterine transplants give people with MRKH an opportunity to carry and deliver a child. Uterus transplants are rare.

How Did Bell Conceive Her Child?

"I still can't believe that I'm here today and I've gone through this. It's just amazing."

At the age of 16, the new mother was told she wouldn't be able to carry her own child. However, in 2024 she received a phone call saying a womb had been donated and a transplant was possible, a moment she recalls left her "in complete shock" and "really excited".

Bell's womb transplant operation lasted 10 hours and took place at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford in June 2024 After her transplant surgery, she began fertility treatments several months after the transplant in 2024 and her son was born a year later.

According to The Guardian, Bell's transplanted womb will be removed when the couple have finished having children, to save her from a lifetime of taking immunosuppressant drugs.

Not too long ago, Indore made headlines in water contamination case where a 67-year-old woman, identified as Parvati Bai Kondla also showed signs of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Bacteria like E coli. and Klebsiella were found in the water sample of Bhagirathpura, the epicentre of water contamination.

Indore's Bhagirathpura is again on the news, this time for food contamination.

Indore Food Contamination: What Happened?

Six people have been admitted to a hospital after they consumed contaminated food in Bhagirathpura. At a birthday party in Bhagirathpura on a late Saturday night, 60 people ate the food and some of them developed health problems. Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Hasani stated on Monday.

Bhagirathpura was the epicentre of water contamination that claimed 22 lives earlier. The minister said that affected individuals were treated and as a precaution, six of them were admitted to the Government Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital.

Indore Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dilip Kumar said, “We have found that in case of the construction of the toilet, no safety tank was constructed beneath it. We are also probing the other lapses.”

As per the official statement, all patients are doing well after the treatment.

Indore Food Contamination: What Happened In Indore Before?

Earlier in January, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav reported that due to lapses in civic infrastructure. Investigation revealed that a toilet constructed directly above a main drinking pipeline near a police outpost, without a mandatory safety tank resulted in the sewage mixing with drinking water.

Read: Sewage Mixing With Drinking Water Kills 7 in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, Over 100 Remain Hospitalized

Speaking to The Indian Express, Indore Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dilip Kumar said, “We have found that in case of the construction of the toilet, no safety tank was constructed beneath it. We are also probing the other lapses.”

What Is E. Coli Bacteria?

Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, refers to a group of bacteria that naturally live in the intestines of humans and animals. Most of these strains are harmless and even play a role in digestion. However, certain types can trigger illness when they enter parts of the body where they do not belong or release harmful toxins.

These disease-causing strains attach themselves to body cells and produce toxins, leading to infection and inflammation.

What Is Guillain-Barré syndrome?

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks your peripheral nerves, leading to symptoms like numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness that progress to paralysis. However, with treatment, most people fully recover from the condition.

Doctors say GBS occurs at any age, but it most commonly affects people between 30 and 50 years of age.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is rare. About 100,000 people worldwide develop GBS every year. To put that into perspective, the world population is about 7.8 billion. That means healthcare providers diagnose GBS in about 1 in 78,000 people each year.

15 US states sued President Donald Trump led administration after the Department of Health and Human Services led by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. revised vaccine schedule that led to coverage fall from 17 to 11 diseases for children. These 15 states are led Democrats and on Tuesday, they announced suing the Trump administration over unscientific grounds of releasing a new vaccine schedule.

The lawsuit has been filed by a coalition of 14 attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania. They have asked the courts to nullify the administration's decision to reduce the number of diseases children are routinely immunized from 17 to 11.

The lawsuit also challenges "the unlawful replacement" of members of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, who recommend vaccines for Americans. The lawsuit names the Department of Health and Human Services and Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr as defendants. It also names the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its acting director, Dr Jay Bhattacharya.

Read: CDC Vaccine Schedule: Coverage Falls From 17 to 11 Diseases For Children

15 States Sue Trump Administration Over Revised Vaccine Schedule: What Do The States Want?

In a news briefing on Tuesday, Rob Bonta, attorney general of California said, "H.H.S. Secretary R.F.K. Jr. and his C.D.C. are flouting decades of scientific research, ignoring credible medical experts, and threatening to strain state resources and make America’s children sicker.” Bonta continued, "The fact is, vaccines save lives and save our state’s money."

The lawsuit also notes that the administration's revised vaccination schedule was unscientific and relied instead on comparisons to countries that are different than the United States.

Kris Mayes, attorney general of Arizona, as reported by The New York Times said that the latest vaccine schedule "copies" Denmark's recommendation, where the country already has a nationalized health care and the population is fraction of that of the US. "Copying Denmark’s vaccine schedule without copying Denmark’s health care system doesn’t give families more options — it just leaves kids unprotected from serious diseases."

Also Read: Wegovy And Ozempic Will Cost Less In 2027, Novo Nordisk Slashes Weight Loss Drugs Prices By Half

15 States Sue Trump Administration Over Revised Vaccine Schedule: What Is The Revised Vaccine Schedule?

On January 5, 2026, the federal health officials led by RFK Jr. announced that the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccine schedule will include routine shots for 11 diseases for children. This is down from 17 diseases, which were earlier included.

Under the revised schedule, vaccines for a limited number of diseases remain universally recommended for children. These include protection against measles, polio, and whooping cough, which are still considered essential routine immunizations.

Vaccines No Longer Recommended for All Children

The most controversial change is the narrowing of recommendations for several common childhood vaccines. Immunization against the following illnesses is now advised only for high-risk children or after consultation with a health care provider:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Meningococcal disease
• Rotavirus
• Influenza
• Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV

Covid-19 vaccination has also shifted to a consultation-based recommendation rather than routine use for all children.

This means shots that were once automatically given at set ages, including at birth, during infancy, and in adolescence, may now depend on individual medical discussions rather than standard guidance.