India is moving quickly to contain a Nipah virus outbreak, which has been spreading since late January 2026. The BBC reports the cases began in the eastern state of West Bengal, and the initial response by federal authorities was to placed 200 people in quarantine and to introduce COVID-19 style health checks at airports receiving flights from the region.
The virus is classed as a high-risk pathogen by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and no vaccine, no clinically approved antivirals, and no immunotherapy are available. However, cases are normally rare with the main source of infection coming from fruit that has been infected by bats. Fruit bats from the Pteropodidae family, also known as ‘flying foxes’, are considered the natural host of the Nipah virus.
The virus has been detected in different bat species like Pteropus vampyru, Pteropus hypomelanus, and Pteropus lylei.
The virus can also spread person-to-person through contaminated food. WHO classes Nipah as one of the top ten global pathogens of concern.
Nipah virus (Henipavirus nipahense) is a bat-borne, zoonotic RNA virus (part of the paramyxovirus damily) that causes Nipah virus infection in humans and other animals, a disease with a very high case fatality rate (40–75%).The incubation period ranges from four to 14 days.
The first recognised Nipah outbreak was in 1998 among pig farmers in Malaysia, with the virus being named after the village where the first case was detected. One hundred people died and the virus spread to Singapore and later to Bangladesh.
The virus has been previously detected in India, with outbreaks reported in West Bengal in both 2001 and 2007. In 2018, the southern state of Kerala became a Nipah hotspot.
Global concerns
There is the potential for Nipah virus to become the next global pandemic, although a range of factors would need to come into play for this to happen. Nonetheless, it is notable that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has created the first UK model for testing Nipah infections.
WHO has stated that the risk of international disease spread is currently considered low and no travel or trade restrictions are recommended.
Nipah virus uses the ephrin‑B2 and ephrin‑B3 receptors, which are widely conserved and expressed in endothelial cells, neurons, and respiratory epithelium, enabling infection across multiple organs and species. After entry, the virus suppresses interferon signalling, allowing rapid replication and causing widespread endothelial injury, vasculitis, and central nervous system inflammation.
Recent cases in India
Discussing the recent cases detected in India, Dr Niladri Sekhar Das, Associate Professor and Tuberculosis Lab-in-charge at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, has told the Times Of India that extensive contract tracing is underway, and, due to effective containment measures, the spread of the virus appears to be contained to date within India.
Yet, on February 7th a woman has died in northern Bangladesh after contracting the Nipah virus. The woman was aged between 40 and 50 years and she first developed symptoms consistent with Nipah virus on January 21, including fever and headache followed by hypersalivation, disorientation and convulsion. She died a week later and was confirmed to be infected with the virus a day after that. The woman had no travel history.
The US CDC advises, if you travel to or live in an area where Nipah virus outbreaks have occurred, you should:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water.
- Avoid contact with flying fox bats or sick pigs.
- Avoid areas where bats roost or
- Avoid touching anything that could be soiled by bats.
- Avoid eating raw date palm sap or fruit that could be soiled by bats.
- Avoid contact with the blood or body fluids of someone with Nipah
As to why now? There is a seasonal aspect to Nipah outbreaks, Prem Prakash, PhD, research scientist with Meharry Medical College, has told Medical News Today. The cases tend to peak between December and May.
“During this winter period,” he observes, “bats experience breeding and nutritional stress from scarce natural food sources, causing them to shed more virus and seek human-planted orchards.”
In addition, Prakash points out, “Cooler weather in these months prolongs the virus’ survival in the environment, increasing the risk of indirect transmission through contaminated surfaces or fruits.”
