India Confirms Two Nipah Cases, Says Situation Under Control

India Reports Two Nipah Cases, Authorities Say Outbreak Contained

India has confirmed two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in West Bengal, but officials say the situation is under control.

Health authorities said “timely containment” measures were put in place following the detections, including enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing, and field investigations.

According to the health ministry, 196 people who had contact with the infected patients were traced and tested, with all results coming back negative. Officials said the situation remains under constant monitoring and that all necessary public health measures are in effect.

The ministry did not disclose further details about the patients.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus that spreads from animals to humans. There is currently no vaccine, and the World Health Organization estimates its fatality rate to be between 40 and 75 percent.

First identified in 1998 among pig farmers in Malaysia, Nipah has caused several outbreaks in India. The country reported its first cases in West Bengal in 2001. A major outbreak in Kerala in 2018 claimed at least 17 lives, followed by two deaths in the state in 2023.

Common symptoms include high fever, vomiting, and respiratory illness, while severe cases may lead to seizures and inflammation of the brain, potentially resulting in coma.

Fruit bats are known to be the virus’s natural reservoir and are believed to be the primary source of repeated outbreaks.