India has declared that the recent outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus has been “timely contained”, even as several Asian countries implement precautionary screening measures for travellers from the country.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare confirmed on Jan 28 that only two cases had been identified – both in West Bengal – countering media speculation that the number was higher.
In a statement aimed at reassuring the public and neighbouring nations, the ministry said: “Enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing, and field investigations were undertaken… which ensured timely containment of the cases.”
Authorities said 196 individuals who had been in contact with the two patients were “identified, traced, monitored and tested” – all yielding negative results for the virus.
“The situation is under constant monitoring, and all necessary public health measures are in place,” the ministry added.
The Nipah virus, a highly fatal zoonotic pathogen, was first identified in Malaysia in the late 1990s and is primarily transmitted to humans from fruit bats or pigs. It can also spread through human-to-human contact, raising alarm in densely populated areas.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the virus has a fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 per cent, significantly higher than Covid-19.
There is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Nipah. Care is primarily supportive – managing symptoms such as fever, vomiting and respiratory distress, while preventing complications such as seizures and brain inflammation that may result in coma or death.
The announcement from New Delhi came as countries across Asia began stepping up border checks, reported Reuters.
Indonesia, Thailand, and China have all introduced heightened screening protocols at airports and land borders. These include temperature scans, visual monitoring, health declaration forms and training of healthcare workers for early detection.
China, which shares a long land border with India, said it had launched risk assessments and bolstered disease prevention capabilities in frontier regions.
Thai and Indonesian health authorities have begun screening arrivals from India at major airports and are on alert for any signs of potential community transmission.
While the situation remains under control in India, the government’s swift action underscores lessons learned from previous outbreaks.
The country had previously reported Nipah virus cases in West Bengal in 2001 and again in 2007. In 2018, Kerala witnessed a deadly outbreak that claimed at least 17 lives. Most recently, two deaths were reported from Kerala in 2023.
Experts say the recurrence of Nipah, although sporadic, highlights the need for ongoing surveillance of zoonotic diseases in the region. Fruit bats – the natural hosts of the virus – are common across South and Southeast Asia, raising the risk of occasional spillover events, especially in regions undergoing rapid urbanisation and deforestation.
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29 Jan 2026 15:49
