health
WHO considers the risk of Nipah virus spreading in Asia to be “low”
The World Health Organization considers the risk of Nipah virus spreading in India to be low despite the recent confirmation of two cases in the state of West Bengal, according to its latest epidemiological bulletin.
TL;DR
- WHO considers the risk of Nipah virus spread in India to be low, with two confirmed cases in West Bengal.
- The agency is providing technical support to Indian authorities for risk assessment and containment.
- Nipah virus has a high mortality rate (40-75%) and lacks a vaccine or specific treatment.
- Transmission usually occurs through contact with animals like pigs and fruit bats, or consumption of contaminated food.
- The two confirmed cases in West Bengal involved nurses who presented symptoms in December and were isolated in January.
- India has previously recorded Nipah outbreaks in West Bengal (2001, 2007) and Kerala (most recently July 2025).
- Several Asian countries, including Thailand, Nepal, and Hong Kong, have activated airport screening protocols.
- China is on alert due to the approaching Lunar New Year and potential imported cases, though no local infections have been detected.