WHO Rules Out Travel Curbs After Nipah Virus Cases In India

The World Health Organisation has said it does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions following the detection of two Nipah virus infections in India.

In an email response to the Reuters news agency, the WHO stated that the risk of further spread from the reported cases remains low and that there is no evidence so far of increased human-to-human transmission.

The WHO said it is working closely with Indian health authorities to trace the source of the infections and monitor contacts.

While the global health body has downplayed the broader risk, several Asian regions, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, have stepped up airport screening as a precautionary measure.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus carried primarily by fruit bats and animals such as pigs. It can cause fever, respiratory illness and swelling of the brain, with a fatality rate ranging between 40 per cent and 75 per cent.

There is currently no approved treatment or vaccine, although several candidates are under development.

People can contract the virus through contact with infected bats, consumption of contaminated fruit, or prolonged close contact with an infected person.

Health experts note that person-to-person transmission is relatively uncommon, and small outbreaks occur sporadically.

The two infected individuals are health workers in West Bengal and are undergoing treatment in a hospital.

The WHO said investigations are ongoing to identify the exact source of the outbreak. India has recorded multiple Nipah outbreaks in recent years, particularly in Kerala.

This is the country’s seventh reported outbreak and the third in West Bengal, underscoring the need for continued surveillance while maintaining public reassurance.

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