World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Saturday that The incidence of Nipah virus Rare but serious. The WHO chief also said that cases linked to the Nipah virus outbreak were confined to India and were not reported by any other country.
Passengers speak with airport authorities at the thermal-scanning area at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. (Reuters)”The two cases of Nipah virus infection reported by India in West Bengal are the third in the state since the virus was first identified in 1998,” Ghebreyesus Warte said in a post on X. He also said that authorities in India are following more than 190 contacts, and none have developed the disease so far.
“Authorities have increased disease surveillance and testing, implemented prevention and control measures in healthcare settings, and are informing the public on how to protect themselves,” he added.
The WHO chief’s warning came a day after the World Health Organization There was a ‘low risk’ of the virus spreading And no travel or trade restrictions were required.
The health agency also said there was no evidence of increased human-to-human transmission and therefore the risk was low.
Earlier two cases of Nipah virus were confirmed North 24 Parganas district of West Bengalboth nurses. However, health officials later said their condition had improved and they had tested negative for infection. While the male nurse was discharged, the female nurse was taken off ventilator support but still kept under observation.
“Both cases developed symptoms of severe NIV infection in late December 2025 and were hospitalized in early January 2026. As of 21 January 2026, the second case showed clinical improvement, while the first case was under intensive care,” WHO said in a release.
Nipah virus spreads from bats to humans and can occur through close contact or contaminated food, the health agency said. Symptoms associated with the virus include fever, muscle aches and headaches, which can make detection more difficult.
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If a person is infected with this virus, they are likely to develop brain swelling and the chance of death is between 40% and 75%.
