WHO chief warns, ‘Nipah is rare but serious’; says cases linked to outbreak restricted to India | India News

World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Saturday that cases of Nipah virus are rare but also serious. Global health agency chief Dr Tedros said cases related to the Nipah virus outbreak were limited to India and no other country had been reported yet.

In a post about X, Dr. “The two cases of Nipah virus infection reported by India in West Bengal are the third cases in that state since the virus was first identified in 1998,” Tedros wrote.

He also reported that Indian authorities have traced more than 190 contacts and none of them have yet contracted the disease.

He also wrote: “Authorities have increased disease surveillance and testing, implemented prevention and control measures in health care settings, and are informing the public about how to protect themselves.”

The WHO chief issued the warning a day after the global health organization said the risk of the virus spreading was ‘low’ and there was no need for travel or trade restrictions.

The organization also noted that there was no evidence of increased human-to-human transmission, keeping the overall risk low.

2 cases reported in West Bengal

West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district reported two confirmed cases of Nipah virus, both of whom were nurses. Later, the health officer claimed that their health conditions had improved and both people tested negative for the infection.

Although the male nurse has been discharged, female nurses who have been removed from ventilator support are still under observation.

WHO said in its statement: “Both cases developed typical symptoms of severe NiV infection in late December 2025 and were hospitalized in early January 2026. By 21 January 2026, the second case showed clinical improvement, while the first case remained in intensive care.”

Nipah virus (NiV) cases in India have remained generally low annually since 2001, except for 66 cases in 2001 and 18 cases in 2018. In the last five years, nearly a dozen confirmed infections have been recorded in Kerala alone. The country uses strong preventive measures such as continuous NiV monitoring, Rapid Response Teams at central and state levels, and rapid laboratory testing capabilities to manage potential outbreaks.

Mortality rate varies between 40-75%

According to the World Health Organization, Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus that is usually transmitted from animals to humans, but it can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between humans.

People infected with Nipah virus may experience fever as well as neurological symptoms (such as headache or confusion) and/or respiratory symptoms (such as cough or difficulty breathing).

Nipah virus infections were first identified in 1998, and cases have since been documented in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. The estimated case fatality rate varies between 40% and 75%.