WHO does not recommend travel or trade restrictions in the wake of the infections<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Feb. 3, 2026 (HealthDay News) \u2014 The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is a low risk that the deadly Nipah virus will spread beyond India, where two people tested positive.<\/p>\n
In an email sent to the Reuters <\/em>news agency, the WHO said it does not recommend travel or trade restrictions in the wake of the infections.<\/p>\n \u201cThe WHO considers the risk of further spread of infection from these two cases is low,\u201d the agency told Reuters.<\/em><\/p>\n It also noted there is \u201cno evidence yet of increased human-to-human transmission.\u201d<\/p>\n The WHO said it is working closely with Indian health officials to track the situation, NBC News<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n Still, several places in Asia, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, have increased airport screening checks this week as a precaution.<\/p>\n Nipah<\/a> is a virus carried by fruit bats and animals like pigs. It can cause fever and swelling of the brain. The death rate ranges from 40% to 75%, and there is no approved treatment or vaccine, though vaccines are being tested.<\/p>\n People can become infected through contact with bats, contaminated fruit, or close, prolonged contact with someone who is sick. Health experts say person-to-person spread is uncommon.<\/p>\n Small outbreaks happen from time to time, and virologists say the overall risk to the public remains low.<\/p>\n The WHO classifies Nipah as a priority pathogen because of the lack of vaccines or treatments; its high fatality rate; and the concern that it could one day become easier to spread.<\/p>\n The two people infected are health workers in India\u2019s eastern state of West Bengal and are being treated in the hospital, local officials said.<\/p>\n The WHO said the exact source of this outbreak is still under investigation. Nipah naturally circulates among bats in parts of India and nearby Bangladesh.<\/p>\n India has reported several Nipah outbreaks in recent years, especially in the southern state of Kerala. This marks India\u2019s seventh recorded outbreak and the third in West Bengal, its fourth-most populous state. Outbreaks in 2001 and 2007 were in districts bordering Bangladesh, which reports outbreaks almost every year, according to the WHO.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n World Health Organization (WHO) has more on the Nipah virus<\/a>.<\/p>\n