Concern is growing internationally over the deadly Nipah virus after India reported cases in humans earlier this month.
It comes as airports in east Asia, including Thailand, Nepal and Vietnam, have brought back Covid-era screening of passengers as a precaution.
However, Indian authorities have been eager to curb what it describes as ‘speculative and inaccurate figures’ about the outbreak.
Latest on the Indian outbreak
According to official data from India’s National Centre for Disease Control, just two confirmed cases have been recorded in West Bengal since December last year.
The World Health Organisation’s epidemiological bulletin dated January 14, 2026 says early investigations suggest the patients may have been exposed to the virus during a work-related visit to the Purba Bardhaman district.
Since then, both the Indian central government and the West Bengal authorities have been working together to roll out swift public health measures in line with established protocols.
A total of 196 close contacts linked to the two confirmed cases have been identified, traced, monitored and tested. Indian officials say all of them have shown no symptoms and have tested negative for the Nipah virus.
So far, there are two confirmed cases and 196 people under observation.
The government has stressed that surveillance, laboratory testing and field investigations have been stepped up through coordinated efforts between national and regional health agencies.
As a result, no new cases have been detected to date.
‘The situation remains under constant monitoring and all necessary public health measures are in place,’ the statement said.
Is Spain at risk?
In Spain, health experts are playing down any immediate risk. The Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine, Public Health and Healthcare Management says the current risk of Nipah infection is ‘very low’, based on assessments by the Ministry of Health and European bodies.
No imported or locally acquired cases have been reported anywhere in Europe.
That said, the society warns the risk is not zero. ‘We must remain prepared, both for this and for other emerging infections,’ it said.
Infectious disease specialist Dr Gema Fernandez Rivas agrees the likelihood of the virus reaching Spain – or triggering a pandemic – is low.
‘The virus has limited transmissibility,’ she said, highlighting Spain’s strong public healthcare system, its experience from the Covid pandemic and its high scientific capacity.
What is the Nipah virus?
Nipah is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by a virus transmitted from animals to humans.
The WHO classifies it as a high-risk biological pathogen, with an estimated fatality rate of between 40% and 75%.
The virus is believed to spread from fruit bats to humans, either directly or via intermediate hosts, through respiratory droplets or close contact with bodily fluids.
There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment, but outbreaks are managed through strict surveillance, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.
Experts also point to other global health threats currently under close watch, including cases of avian flu (H5N1), MERS-CoV in the Middle East, and mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika in parts of Latin America and Asia.
All remain under continuous international surveillance.
