Transmitted from animals to humans
Health officials are scrambling to contain an outbreak of the Nipah virus in India’s eastern state of West Bengal after five confirmed cases, including infections among doctors and nurses. The virus is regarded as extremely dangerous due to its high fatality rate and the absence of any effective treatment.
Almost 100 people have been instructed to self-quarantine at home, while those infected are being treated at hospitals in and around Kolkata. One patient is reported to be in critical condition.
Nipah is a highly dangerous zoonotic virus, meaning it spreads from animals to humans, and there is currently no vaccine or cure. The World Health Organization lists it as a high-risk pathogen, explaining that although human cases are uncommon, infections usually occur when the virus spills over from bats, often through fruit contaminated by bat saliva or droppings. The virus can also spread between people through close contact with infected bodily fluids.