The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that India has reported two laboratory-confirmed cases of Nipah virus (NiV) infection. The cases were identified in West Bengal, with the Indian National IHR Focal Point notifying the WHO on Monday.
According to the WHO’s latest Disease Outbreak News, the infection was confirmed at the National Institute of Virology in Pune on January 13. Both cases involve healthcare workers at a private hospital in West Bengal. Indian authorities have traced and tested over 190 contacts, all of whom tested negative, and no additional cases have been reported so far.
This marks the third Nipah outbreak in West Bengal, with previous incidents occurring in 2001 and 2007. Authorities continue to conduct investigations into the source of exposure, with enhanced surveillance and infection prevention measures in place.
Nipah virus is a rare but serious zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans, and in some cases, through human-to-human contact. The WHO has assessed the risk of Nipah to be moderate at the sub-national level and low at the national, regional, and global levels, emphasizing the importance of ongoing monitoring and containment efforts.
