Airports across Asia have introduced health screenings for passengers arriving from India following two confirmed cases of the Nipah virus in West Bengal. Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar have implemented measures including temperature checks and health declarations, while China has strengthened disease prevention at its borders.
The Indian health ministry confirmed two cases in West Bengal since December but stated that “timely containment” measures have been taken. Nearly 200 close contacts have been tested, with no further outbreaks detected. The government described reports of a surge as “speculative and incorrect”.
Nipah virus is primarily transmitted to humans from animals such as pigs and fruit bats, either through direct contact or their secretions. It has a high fatality rate of 40% to 75% and no vaccine is available. The World Health Organization considers it a high risk for epidemics due to its potential for human-to-human transmission, though this remains low.
The disease was first identified in 1998 among pig farmers in Malaysia, where it killed over 100 people. Since then, outbreaks have occurred almost annually across Asia, including in India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia. The latest cases are the first in West Bengal since 2007.
In 2018, at least 17 people died from Nipah virus in the Indian state of Kerala, with two more deaths in 2023. The Indian health authorities have assured that the situation is under constant monitoring and all necessary public health measures are in place.
