Nipah virus worries Asia

Two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in India have prompted authorities in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia to step up airport screening in an attempt to prevent the spread of the infection.

The virus, which is carried by fruit bats and animals such as pigs, can cause fever and inflammation of the brain, and has a mortality rate of between 40 and 75 percent. Although it can be transmitted from person to person, transmission is not easy and usually requires prolonged contact with an infected person. More often, however, it is transmitted to humans through infected bats or fruit that they have contaminated.

Infections were confirmed in India in late December. Smaller outbreaks are not uncommon, and virologists have said the risk to the general population remains low. Several vaccines are in development, but they are still in the testing phase.

Two people who became infected in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal in late December were health workers and are both being treated at a local hospital, a district health official told Reuters.

Authorities have identified and traced 196 contacts linked to the two cases, none of whom are showing symptoms and all have tested negative for the virus, India's health ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Reports of infections have put authorities on alert in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, as well as in Nepal and Hong Kong.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Nipah as a priority pathogen because there are no approved vaccines or therapies, due to its high mortality rate, and fears that the virus could mutate and become more transmissible.

As of December 2025, 750 Nipah infections had been confirmed worldwide, with 415 deaths, according to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is funding vaccine trials to help contain Nipah.

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