The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the risk of the deadly Nipah virus spreading from India is low. The agency also confirmed that it does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions following two confirmed infections in the country.

Airport Screening Tightened Across Asia

Countries including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam have implemented enhanced airport screening checks for arriving passengers this week to prevent potential spread after India reported infections.

According to WHO, India has the capacity to contain such outbreaks, and there is currently no evidence of increased human-to-human transmission. However, further exposure cannot be ruled out, as the virus circulates in bat populations in parts of India and neighboring Bangladesh.

How Nipah Virus Spreads

The Nipah virus is primarily transmitted from infected fruit bats or animals, or through contaminated fruit, to humans. Person-to-person transmission is rare and usually requires prolonged close contact with infected individuals.

The virus can cause fever, brain inflammation, and respiratory illness, with a fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 percent. While there is no licensed cure or vaccine yet, experimental vaccines are currently under development.

Past Outbreaks in India

The recent cases involved two health workers in West Bengal, India’s eastern state, who were infected in late December and are currently under hospital care.

India experiences sporadic Nipah infections, especially in the southern state of Kerala, considered one of the world’s highest-risk regions. Since 2018, dozens of deaths have been linked to the virus.

This is India’s seventh documented Nipah outbreak and the third in West Bengal, following previous incidents in 2001 and 2007 in districts bordering Bangladesh, which continues to report outbreaks almost every year.

WHO Classification

The WHO classifies Nipah as a priority pathogen due to its high fatality rate, lack of licensed treatments, and concern that it could mutate into a more transmissible variant. Experts emphasize that small outbreaks are not unusual, and the risk to the general population remains low.