Indian health authorities confirmed that two Nipah virus cases were detected in West Bengal since December. Officials said the outbreak is under control and no further infections have been found so far.
According to the Health Ministry, 196 people who came into contact with the patients were traced, quarantined, and tested. All test results came back negative, easing fears of wider spread.
“The situation is under constant monitoring, and all necessary public health measures are in place,” the ministry said, without sharing details about the patients.
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Nipah virus is a rare but highly dangerous disease that spreads from animals to humans through close human contact. It is commonly linked to fruit bats and pigs. There is no vaccine, and treatment focuses only on managing symptoms.
Health experts warn that Nipah can cause high fever, vomiting and seizures. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus has a fatality rate between 40 percent and 75 percent, making it far more deadly than COVID-19.
Although no cases have been reported outside India, several Asian countries reacted quickly after early media reports hinted at a possible surge. Indian authorities later called those reports “speculative and incorrect.”
Indonesia and Thailand increased screening at major airports. Measures include health forms, temperature checks, and visual monitoring of passengers arriving from India. Thailand also installed thermal scanners at arrival gates for direct flights from West Bengal at Bangkok’s main airport.
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Myanmar advised against nonessential travel to West Bengal and told travelers to seek medical help if symptoms appear within 14 days of return. The country also intensified fever screening at airports and prepared laboratories and medical supplies.
Vietnam urged strict food safety practices and ordered closer monitoring at borders, hospitals, and local communities. China said it has strengthened disease prevention steps in border areas and improved training and testing capacity for health workers.
West Bengal has seen Nipah outbreaks before, in 2001 and 2007. In recent years, most cases were reported in Kerala, where a 2018 outbreak killed at least 17 people.
