PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has placed its health system on high alert and activated province-wide emergency surveillance following the confirmation of multiple Nipah virus cases in India.
The authorities concerned of the Health Department have directed all districts, hospitals, and points of entry to strengthen screening procedures, enhance early detection and ensure rapid response mechanisms.Officials said that no case of the deadly virus had been reported in Pakistan thus far.
The Directorate General Health Services (DGHS) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a communique said the alert follows confirmation of multiple Nipah virus cases in India’s West Bengal region, including infections among healthcare workers in Kolkata, raising concerns due to the virus’s high fatality rate and potential for human-to-human transmission.
The DGHS has directed all districts and relevant stakeholders to strictly implement preventive and control measures, ensure readiness for early detection, isolation and referral of suspected cases, and strengthen coordination with Border Health Services. Advisory guidelines received from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, have been disseminated for uniform implementation across the province.
As part of the preparedness measures, the DGHS Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has notified the Director Public Health as the provincial focal person for Nipah virus disease, assigning responsibility for coordinating surveillance, reporting, laboratory response and field operations with districts, federal authorities and points of entry.
Health authorities said Nipah virus was a highly pathogenic zoonotic infection that causes severe respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis, with a case fatality rate ranging between 40 and 75 percent. While Pakistan has not detected any human case, officials said the evolving situation in India requires heightened vigilance, particularly in border provinces.
Guidelines issued by the NIH state that at least five confirmed cases have been reported in West Bengal as of January 2026, prompting enhanced surveillance across South Asia. The advisory emphasises early identification of unexplained encephalitis cases, strict infection prevention measures in healthcare settings, and prompt laboratory confirmation through RT-PCR testing at the NIH in Islamabad.
Nipah virus is transmitted to humans through consumption of food contaminated by infected fruit bats, direct contact with infected animals, or close unprotected contact with infected individuals.
Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting and sore throat, which can rapidly progress to acute encephalitis, seizures and coma. There is currently no specific antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine for Nipah virus, and patient management remains largely supportive, often requiring intensive care.
At the national level, health authorities have instructed provinces to designate isolation facilities, place rapid response teams on standby, strengthen laboratory preparedness and maintain close coordination with Border Health Services for travellers arriving from affected regions.
The NIH Public Health Emergency Operations Centre remains on watch mode and is monitoring the situation in coordination with the World Health Organization, which has assessed the current risk of further international spread as low but has urged continued vigilance.
