CURRENT SITUATION

The University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) aligns with the Department of Health (DOH) in monitoring the Nipah virus (NiV) situation following recent reports from West Bengal, India. As of 27 January 2026, the Indian National Centre for Disease Control reported no additional cases in West Bengal since December 2025.

A recent confirmed case was also reported in Bangladesh, with symptom onset on 21 January 2026 and laboratory confirmation on 29 January 2026. The patient had no travel history but reported consumption of raw date palm sap, a known risk factor for NiV infection.

NiV remains endemic in parts of South and Southeast Asia, with sporadic outbreaks reported in India and Bangladesh. In the Philippines, the only documented outbreak occurred in 2014 in Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao, and no cases have been reported since.

Despite the recent cases in India and Bangladesh, the World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the risk of international spread as low.

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On 06 February 2026, UP-PGH issued a memorandum providing information and guidance to hospital staff and outlining preparedness and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to be observed—not only for Nipah virus, but for any emerging or re-emerging infectious threats. The aim of the memorandum is to strengthen basic IPC practices, training, and institutional capacity-building to ensure sustained preparedness and healthcare worker safety.