What is Nipah virus? What you need to know about this disease as India faces an outbreak – National
An outbreak of the Nipah virus in the Indian state of West Bengal is raising concerns in parts of Asia, leading some airports to implement important health screenings.
So far, five confirmed infections, including among doctors and nurses, have led to the closure of 100 people and the hospitalization of others in various medical facilities in Kolkata, according to the Times of India.
The three airports in Thailand that receive flights from West Bengal have started screening passengers on arrival. Nepal has also started screening travelers at Kathmandu airport and crossing the world border with India, the BBC reported.
The Ministry of Health in India says that 196 people who are known to have been in contact with those infected with the virus have found out that they do not have it, according to the source.
What is Nipah virus?
The Nipah virus, which can be fatal, is spread in many ways, including from animals to humans – mainly through fruit bats – through contaminated food, or directly between people and can cause anything from an asymptomatic infection to severe respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Person-to-person transmission occurs through close contact with the body fluids of an infected person.
Although the Nipah virus has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, it infects a wide range of animals and causes serious illness and death in humans, making it a public health problem, according to the WHO.
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People with this virus usually have symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting and sore throat.
Some may experience respiratory problems, including shortness of breath, cough, and, in severe cases, pneumonia. This may be accompanied by dizziness, drowsiness and altered consciousness, which may indicate a complex neurological infection.
The most serious symptoms affecting the central nervous system include fainting, fainting and shortness of breath.
The incubation period is believed to range from four to 14 days, but the WHO has reported an incubation period of up to 45 days.
How deadly is the virus?
Nipah virus has a fatality rate ranging from 45 to 75 percent, and there is no vaccine or treatment available for animals or humans.
In December 2025, researchers at the University of Oxford, in collaboration with the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, launched the first clinical trial phase of the second phase of the Nipah virus vaccine involving 306 healthy participants aged 18 to 55 years.
Most people who survive acute encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain tissue, make a full recovery, although the WHO has reported long-term neurologic conditions in survivors.
Some may also have meningitis.
About 20 percent of patients who recover from Nipah virus are left with residual neurological symptoms, such as seizure disorders, and may experience personality changes. A small number of people who recover have relapses or delayed encephalitis.
The main course of treatment for people is supportive care. The virus is described by the WHO as a “priority disease” with an “urgent need for rapid research and development.”
In 2018, at least three people in southern India died after contracting the virus. They all came from the same family.
Where is the outbreak?
Nipah was first identified during the outbreak of violence in Malaysia in 1999. Since then, outbreaks have been reported in parts of South Asia, including Singapore, as well as northeastern India and Bangladesh. Nipah virus has never been reported or found in Canada.
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