The World Health Organization said the risk of Nipah virus spreading remains low after three recent cases in India and Bangladesh. The cases drew attention because Nipah has a high fatality rate and no approved vaccine. Health authorities are monitoring communities near the India-Bangladesh border to prevent further infections.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed two cases in India and one in Bangladesh in recent weeks. He said the agency assessed the regional and global risk as low. Although the outbreaks occurred along the border, investigators found they were not directly linked. Both areas share similar ecological and cultural conditions, including fruit bat populations that carry the virus.
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Nipah spreads from animals to humans and can also transmit through contaminated food. Fruit bats serve as the natural reservoir of the virus. According to WHO, the fatality rate ranges between 40 and 75 percent. Symptoms include intense fever, vomiting, and respiratory infection. Severe cases can cause seizures and brain inflammation that may lead to coma.
Authorities reported two confirmed cases last month in India’s West Bengal state. In Bangladesh, one patient died after contracting the virus last week. Health officials have strengthened surveillance and public awareness in affected regions. Experts say early detection and isolation remain critical to limiting transmission.
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Nipah was first identified in Malaysia in 1998 among pig farmers. India recorded its first outbreak in West Bengal in 2001. In 2018, at least 17 people died from Nipah in Kerala. Two more deaths were reported in the same southern state in 2023, underscoring the virus’s recurring threat.