Airports and border points across Asia are tightening health screenings following a recent outbreak of the Nipah virus in India’s West Bengal, where five cases have been confirmed and around 100 people quarantined. According to The Independent, countries including Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan have intensified surveillance, monitored travellers for fever and other symptoms, and issued public health advisories.
Consequently, authorities are urging strict hygiene, caution, and avoidance of contact with sick individuals or potentially contaminated fruits, since Nipah can spread from animals or humans and carries a high fatality rate of 40–75%.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) report from 2018 highlights that the Nipah virus (NiV) is a dangerous zoonotic disease primarily hosted by fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family. Moreover, it can infect domestic animals, particularly pigs, and humans may become infected through direct contact with animals, consumption of contaminated food, or close contact with infected individuals.
While some people remain asymptomatic, others develop fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat. In severe cases, the virus can cause neurological complications such as dizziness, drowsiness, seizures, encephalitis, and coma, sometimes within just 24 to 48 hours.
It can also trigger atypical pneumonia and acute respiratory distress. The incubation period usually ranges from four to fourteen days, although it can extend up to 45 days in rare instances.
Historically, the Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1999 among pig farmers. Since then, outbreaks have occurred in Bangladesh and India, with nearly annual cases reported in Bangladesh since 2001.
During these outbreaks, human-to-human transmission has been documented, especially among family members and healthcare workers, while contact with contaminated animals or their secretions remains a major route of infection.
Currently, no approved vaccine exists. Therefore, prevention and public awareness are critical. WHO recommends avoiding contact with infected animals, practicing strict hygiene, thoroughly washing and peeling fruits, boiling raw juices, and using protective equipment when handling sick animals or caring for infected individuals.
In addition, domestic animals, particularly pigs, can spread the virus rapidly, sometimes without obvious symptoms. Farmers are advised to maintain strict sanitation, isolate infected animals, and, if necessary, cull affected livestock under supervision.
Moreover, vaccine development for the Nipah virus is gaining momentum. According to Vax-before-travel.com, the WHO reports that multiple vaccine platforms are being explored, including live-attenuated, replication-defective, virus-like particle, subunit, and mRNA vaccines.
Notably, the University of Oxford launched the world’s first Phase II clinical trial of the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine in December 2025, following successful preclinical studies in animals. Meanwhile, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is developing a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine in collaboration with Houston Methodist Research Institute, with funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
In addition, Auro Vaccines LLC and Public Health Vaccines LLC are testing vaccine candidates that have shown promising immune responses and protection in preclinical trials, while PhylexBioSciences is advancing a second-generation nanoparticle mRNA vaccine. Collectively, these global efforts reflect the urgent push to develop effective vaccines to prevent outbreaks of a virus with high fatality rates and epidemic potential.
Ultimately, WHO continues to provide technical guidance, outbreak management strategies, and preventive measures to countries at risk. Given the virus’s high fatality rate, potential for human-to-human transmission, and severe health consequences, authorities emphasize that public awareness, heightened surveillance, and strict preventive measures are essential to control the outbreak and protect communities across Asia.
