WHO flags Nipah virus risk in India, says situation is serious but contained

Geneva: The World Health Organization has issued a warning regarding the Nipah virus recently detected in India. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Nipah virus cases are serious. He also stated that the recently reported cases of the virus were limited to India only. No such cases have been reported from any other country. In a post on the social media platform X, the WHO chief mentioned the two cases reported in West Bengal and said that this is the third case in the state since the virus was first identified in 1998.

Ghebreyesus further stated that authorities in India are monitoring more than 190 people who came into contact with the infected individuals, and so far, the disease has not spread to anyone else. He said that surveillance and testing have been increased. Prevention and control measures are being implemented in health centers. People are being informed about how to protect themselves.

Low Risk of Virus Spread

The World Health Organization had said a day earlier that the risk of the virus spreading is low and there is no need to impose restrictions on travel or trade. The organization also said that there is no evidence of increased human-to-human transmission so far.

2 Cases of Nipah Virus in West Bengal

Recently, two cases of Nipah virus were reported in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. Both were nursing staff. Authorities said that their condition later improved and their reports came back negative. The male nurse was discharged from the hospital. The female nurse has been taken off ventilator support and is under observation. Both patients showed symptoms at the end of December 2025 and had to be admitted to the hospital in early January 2026.

What is the Nipah virus? Nipah virus is one of the most dangerous infections affecting humans. The mortality rate after infection ranges from 40 to 75 percent. The Nipah virus interferes with the body's immune system, preventing it from defending itself. While the immune response usually leads to recovery during other viral infections, the Nipah virus does the opposite, misdirecting the immune system's response. This virus spreads from bats to humans through close contact or contaminated food.