Parliament Question: Nipah-virus infections and deaths recorded in the country

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH ANDFAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE RAJYASABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3641 TOBE ANSWERED ON24.03.2026 NIPAH-VIRUS INFECTIONS AND DEATHSRECORDED IN THE COUNTRY 3641.SHRIHARIS BEERAN: Will the MINISTER OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:- (a) the details of the number of Nipah-virus infections and deaths recorded in the country over the past five years, year-wise andState/UT-wise ; (b) what measures Government istakingto containthe outbreakof the disease across the country; (c) whether Government is developing any contingency plans in case of nation-wide outbreak of Nipah- virus, if so, the detailsthereofand if not,the reasons therefor; (d) whether any reasons have been identified for the sudden and frequent outbreaks of Nipah-virus over the past fewyears; and (e) whether Government has considered constituting a National Taskforce to address the increase in outbreaks? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE INTHE MINISTRYOFHEALTH& FAMILY WELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a): The details of cases and deaths due to Nipah virus disease reported by States/UTs on the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) -Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal during thepast fiveyearsareplacedatAnnexure-I. (b) & (c): The control measures undertaken and contingency plans for prevention and containment of NipahvirusdiseaseoutbreaksareplacedatAnnexure-II. (d): Nipahvirusdiseaseisanemergingzoonotic infectiousdisease causedby theNipah virus(NiV) that mainly affects pigs and humans. Human infections usually occur in clusters or outbreaks, particularly among close contacts and caregivers of infected individuals. The natural reservoir host of the virus is believedtobe Pteropusfruit bats(flyingfoxes). According to the information available fruit bats play a significant role in the transmission of the virus. Human infections may occur due to spillover of the virus from fruit bats to intermediate hosts or directly tohumans. In India, outbreakshave beenassociated with exposure tocontaminated food sources and close contact with infected individuals, which may lead to periodic occurrence of cases in certain geographicalareas. (e): A National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) comprising experts from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Forest & Wildlife authorities and human health sector, along with bat survey teams, has been constituted and deployed during outbreaks for comprehensive assessment and response. *****ANNEXURE-I State & Districts wise Cases and Deaths reported in Nipah Disease Outbreaks by States/UTs asperIDSP-IHIPportal forthelast five years S. Year State(District) Total cases Total deaths No. 1 2021 Kerala(Kozhikode) 1 1 2 2023 Kerala(Kozhikode) 6 2 3 2024 Kerala(Malappuram) 2 2 4 2025 Kerala (Malappuram & 4 2 Palakkad) 5 2026 West Bengal (North 24 2 1 Pargana)ANNEXURE-II The control measures undertaken and contingency plans for prevention and containment of Nipahvirusdisease outbreaks: I. Through surveillance mechanism the early warning signals are captured to generate alerts, detect outbreaks in the early rising phase, outbreak investigations are conducted and timely appropriate measures are undertaken by the respective public health agencies to control and preventthe further spread of the disease. II. Whole genome sequencingwasperformedonclinicalspecimensfromall positive cases. This genomic surveillance aids in understanding the circulating Nipah virus strain, which belong to similar genotypesof 2019and2021 outbreaksin Kerala. III. Beyond the immediate outbreak response, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) maintained continued support and collaborative engagement with both Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) throughout the year, ensuring training, a steady supply of Personalprotective equipment(PPE) anddiagnostic reagents. Thissustained effort underscores a commitment to strengthening regional capacities for infectious disease preparedness and response. IV. The State and Central Government health officials worked to enhance public andhealthcare professional awareness regarding Nipah virus disease. These initiatives ensured that individuals were made aware on the signs and symptoms of the disease and understood the appropriate actionstotake if theysuspected aninfectioninthemselvesor others. V. Under the MoHFW, Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) is an important programme, which mandates surveillance & response to outbreak prone communicable diseases. IDSP is implemented in all 36 States/UTs. The program is responsible for the surveillance of 50 plus epidemic prone diseases and outbreak investigation. IDSP plays a crucial role in prompt response and surveillance of emerging and re-emerging diseases includingNipah Virus disease inthe country. VI. IndianCouncilofMedicalResearch(ICMR)andICMR-NationalInstituteofVirology(NIV), Pune,have strengthened Nipah surveillance byenhancing Acute Encephalitis Syndrome(AES) in Kerala state and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) surveillance in West Bengal and Kerala since October-November 2024. VII. AcomprehensiveguidelineonNipahVirushasbeenpreparedwhichcanbeaccessedon the link: https://ncdc.mohfw.gov.in/nipah-virus-guidelines/. VIII. UnderNationalOneHealthProgrammeforPreventionandControlofZoonoticDiseases (NOHP-PCZ) various initiatives are taken tostrengthen prevention, detection, and response capacitiesfor zoonotic diseases inIndia,includingNipah Virus Disease (NiV). IX. For institutionalization of One Health at National, State and district level – Zoonosis committee have been formed in All States /UTs to review status of all zoonotic diseases includingNipah virus X. CapacityBuildingofmedicalandveterinaryprofessionaluptofrontlinehealth/vetworkersis done through Regional andstate levelinstitutes. XI. For understanding burden of priority zoonosis and efficient management 75 Sentinel SurveillanceSites in28States/UTsare strengthened undermedicalcolleges/vetcolleges. XII. CentreforOneHealth,NCDChaspreparedaTechnicalGuidanceonZoonoticDisease, including Nipah Virus Disease that may be accessed at link: https://ncdc.mohfw.gov.in/wp- content/uploads/2024/04/Technical-Guidance-on-Zoonotic-Disease.pdf. XIII. Information,Education,andCommunication(IEC)videoonNipahvirusdiseasehasbeen prepared to create awareness in the public and prevent the spread of the disease. The IEC may be accessed at link: https://ncdc.mohfw.gov.in/iec-material-on-zoonotic-disease-nipah/. *****