FACT CHECK: No confirmed Nipah virus case in PH — DOH

Claim: The Philippines has recorded confirmed cases of the Nipah virus as of January 2026.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A viral Facebook post from the account Jojoco Blaza has gained over 1.2 million views. Since its posting on January 31, it now has more than 1,300 comments and 4,300 shares as of writing.

The post shows an image of town residents looking distressed as several figures wearing personal protective equipment and masks carry people on stretchers. Bold text overlaid on the image reads, “Nipah virus! Nagkameron na sa Pinas!”

(Nipah virus! There are already [cases] in the Philippines.)

According to the post’s caption, the public is advised not to drink tap water from 6 pm to 2 am until February 6, claiming that “something” will be mixed into the flowing water that could cause one to contract the virus.

The facts: There is no confirmed case of the Nipah virus in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) said in a video posted on February 4.

The department also assured the public that the Bureau of Quarantine is strictly monitoring all ports of entry to prevent the virus from entering and spreading in the country, following reports of confirmed cases in India.

There have been no recorded cases in the Philippines since 2014, when 17 individuals in Sultan Kudarat contracted the disease by “eating horse meat and being in contact with a sick person.” (READ: Nipah virus spreads in India. Should PH tighten borders?)

The misleading post uses sensationalized language and an image that, based on results from artificial intelligence (AI) detection tool SightEngine, is 99% likely to be AI-generated. It also bears the logo of AI image generator Google Gemini on its lower right corner.

Nipah virus outbreak: The misleading post circulated following reports of a recent Nipah virus outbreak that began in West Bengal State, India, in December 2025. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), two nurses at the same private hospital in Barasat developed symptoms and were later confirmed to have contracted the Nipah virus.

Indian health authorities have monitored 196 close contacts, all of whom tested negative for the virus.

Nipah virus: The Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus transmitted to humans from animals, through contaminated food, or via direct contact between people.

While some people can be asymptomatic, most can develop symptoms such as fever, headache, confusion, difficulty breathing, and cough. Other typical symptoms include chills, fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases often include neurological issues such as brain swelling or encephalitis, which can lead to death.

The time from infection to the onset of symptoms is usually 3 to 14 days, though rare cases have reported incubation periods of up to 45 days. 

Most survivors make a full recovery, but roughly 20% of those who overcome the infection suffer from persistent neurological issues. The disease has an estimated mortality rate of 40% to 75%. – Princess Leah Sagaad/Rappler.com

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