Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: Asian Airports Ramp Up Screening; China Urges Heightened Vigilance

Airports across several Asian countries have tightened health screening measures following reports of Nipah virus infections in India, prompting renewed regional vigilance. Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan have reintroduced

Covid-era style checks, including passenger monitoring and surveillance.

The outbreak has also drawn attention in China ahead of the Lunar New Year travel season, when millions are expected to travel. While Chinese experts say Nipah is difficult to transmit widely, public concern has grown due to its high fatality rate.

China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged “heightened vigilance” against imported infectious diseases during the peak travel period, known as chunyun, which runs from February 2 to March 13, South China Morning Post reported.

Nipah Virus Outbreak

Five confirmed cases have been reported among health workers in West Bengal this month, news agency ANI reported, citing Dr Narendra Kumar Arora, President of AIIMS Bilaspur and Chairman of India’s Covid-19 Working Group at the National Technical Advisory Group.

Meanwhile, Indian health authorities have sought to reassure the public, saying the situation remains under control. Dr Arora noted that while Kerala and West Bengal are endemic regions, only a limited number of cases have been reported. He warned that Nipah has a high mortality rate of 40–75 per cent and that no vaccine is currently available. Monoclonal antibodies are being sourced for treatment, though supplies remain scarce. After the outbreak in West Bengal, authorities were tracing 100 to 200 possible contacts.

“Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease… These sporadic outbreaks have occurred in both Kerala and West Bengal. But even Bangladesh is endemic for the Nipah virus… The current outbreak was first reported among 5 health workers in West Bengal after a person died of an unknown disease, and later on, these 5 health professionals were involved. An ongoing investigation is now underway into another 100 to 200 people who have been exposed… Nipah virus is that it is highly infectious and fatal… The person either gets symptoms of encephalitis or severe respiratory disease, and mortality is 40 to 75%, which is very high,” Arora told ANI.

Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals such as bats and pigs to humans, and through close human-to-human contact. Symptoms range from fever and respiratory illness to severe encephalitis, which can be fatal. The quarantine period for close contacts is 21 days.