WHO Says Low Risk of Nipah Virus Spreading Beyond India

News Desk/Reuters

Geneva: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has assessed that the risk of the deadly Nipah virus spreading from India is low and does not recommend travel or trade restrictions following two recent infections reported in the country.

Several Asian nations, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, have tightened airport screening measures this week after India confirmed the cases.

In a statement to Reuters, the WHO said, “The risk of further spread of infection from these two cases is low,” noting that India has the capacity to contain such outbreaks. The agency added that there is no evidence of increased human-to-human transmission, although it has coordinated closely with Indian health authorities.

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The WHO, however, cautioned that further exposure to the virus cannot be ruled out. Nipah virus circulates in fruit bats and can also infect animals such as pigs.

Humans typically contract the virus through direct contact with infected bats or contaminated fruits. The disease can cause fever and severe brain inflammation, with a fatality rate ranging from 40% to 75%. There is no licensed treatment or vaccine, although vaccines are currently under development.

Person-to-person transmission of Nipah is rare and usually requires prolonged close contact with infected individuals. Small outbreaks are not unusual in India, and experts say the risk to the general population remains low.

The current cases involve two health workers in West Bengal’s eastern region, who were infected in late December and are being treated in hospital. India regularly reports sporadic Nipah infections, particularly in Kerala, which is considered one of the world’s highest-risk areas for the virus. Since its first emergence there in 2018, the virus has caused multiple deaths.

This is India’s seventh documented Nipah outbreak and the third in West Bengal, a state bordering Bangladesh, where outbreaks occur almost annually. The WHO classifies Nipah as a priority pathogen due to its high fatality rate, lack of licensed vaccines or treatments, and potential to mutate into a more transmissible variant.