Two Nipah virus cases confirmed in India, prompting heightened surveillance and measures to prevent further spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that two healthcare workers at a private hospital in West Bengal have tested positive for the rare and serious zoonotic disease. This marks the third outbreak of Nipah in the state, following previous occurrences in 2001 and 2007. Indian authorities have identified and tested over 190 contacts, all of whom tested negative, and no further cases have been detected to date. The WHO assesses the risk posed by Nipah to be moderate at the sub-national level, and low at the national, regional, and global levels. This outbreak highlights the ongoing challenge of managing zoonotic diseases and the importance of robust surveillance and infection prevention measures.
