India says Nipah virus outbreak contained as Asian countries tighten airport screenings

New Delhi: Indian health authorities said they have contained a Nipah virus outbreak after confirming two cases in the eastern state of West Bengal, even as several Asian countries intensified airport screening and surveillance measures for travellers arriving from India.

India’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday that the two cases were detected since December and that extensive contact tracing had been completed. A total of 196 contacts were identified, quarantined and tested, with all results returning negative. Officials did not disclose further details about the patients.

“The situation is under constant monitoring, and all necessary public health measures are in place,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that there was no evidence of community transmission.

Regional alert despite no overseas cases

While no cases have been reported outside India, several countries across Asia moved to strengthen health checks at airports and border points as a precautionary step. Authorities said the measures followed early media reports suggesting a surge in cases in India claims that Indian officials later described as “speculative and incorrect.”

Nipah is a zoonotic virus transmitted through fruit bats, pigs and human-to-human contact. First identified during an outbreak in Malaysia in the 1990s, the virus can cause severe symptoms, including high fever, vomiting and convulsions. There is currently no vaccine, and treatment is limited to supportive care.

According to the World Health Organization, Nipah has an estimated fatality rate of 40% to 75%, significantly higher than many other viral infections.

Countries step up screening

Indonesia and Thailand said they had increased screening at major airports, including temperature checks, health declarations and visual monitoring of passengers arriving from India. Thailand’s Department of Disease Control said thermal scanners had been installed at arrival gates for direct flights from West Bengal at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Myanmar advised against nonessential travel to West Bengal and urged travellers to seek immediate medical care if symptoms appear within 14 days of travel. The country said fever surveillance systems introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic had been intensified, and laboratory testing capacity and medical supplies had been readied.

On Tuesday, Vietnam’s Health Ministry urged strict food safety practices and ordered local authorities to strengthen monitoring at border crossings, healthcare facilities and within communities, according to state media reports.

China also said it was reinforcing disease-prevention measures in border areas, including enhanced monitoring, testing capabilities and additional training for medical staff.

History of outbreaks

India has seen sporadic Nipah outbreaks over the past two decades. West Bengal reported cases in 2001 and 2007, while more recent outbreaks have largely been concentrated in Kerala in southern India. A major outbreak in 2018 claimed at least 17 lives in Kerala.

Health experts say swift contact tracing and isolation remain critical to preventing further spread, particularly given the virus’s high fatality rate. Indian authorities said surveillance would remain heightened in the affected region in the coming weeks.