WHO Clears Travel After India Brain Virus Cases

GENEVA, Switzerland — The World Health Organization issued a travel update January 30 stating that India's latest Nipah virus outbreak poses a "low risk" of international spread and does not warrant travel or trade restrictions, despite two confirmed cases in West Bengal and rising concerns among neighboring countries. The assessment comes nearly two weeks after India notified the WHO on January 26 of two laboratory-confirmed Nipah virus cases in healthcare workers at a private hospital in Barasat, North 24 Parganas district. Both patients are nurses aged 20-30 who developed symptoms in late December 2025, with cases confirmed via RT-PCR and ELISA testing on January 13, 2026. As of January 21, one patient showed improvement while the other remained in critical condition requiring mechanical ventilation.

WHO Assessment: Containment Working, Global Risk Minimal

"The WHO considers that the risk of further spread of infection from these two cases is low," the organization said to Reuters. The finding reflects India's rapid containment response and the lack of secondary transmission beyond the initial hospital exposure. "WHO assesses the public health risk posed by NiV at the global level to be low, as there has been no confirmed spread of cases outside India," according to WHO Disease Outbreak News. The organization emphasized that "there is no evidence of increased human-to-human transmission so far," adding that India had the capacity to contain such outbreaks. Over 190 contacts have been traced and tested negative for Nipah, with no additional cases identified since December 2025. India deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team, established a mobile BSL-3 laboratory on-site, and implemented enhanced surveillance protocols across the region.

What Travelers Need to Know About Nipah

Nipah virus is a zoonotic pathogen first identified during a 1998-1999 outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia. Transmitted from fruit bats to humans and through close contact with infected individuals or animals, the virus causes severe respiratory illness and encephalitis, with a case fatality rate between 40-75%. Since the 1990s, fewer than 800 cases have been documented globally. For travelers, the practical risk remains negligible under current conditions. The virus does not spread easily between humans; transmission typically requires prolonged close contact with bodily fluids or respiratory secretions. The two confirmed cases involve healthcare workers with direct patient exposure, a scenario unlikely for tourists or business travelers passing through affected regions. India has experienced 13 Nipah outbreaks since 2001, primarily in Kerala and West Bengal. The country's 2001 outbreak in Siliguri recorded 66 cases. This marks the third outbreak in West Bengal, following incidents in Siliguri (2001) and Nadia (2007). Recurrent outbreaks in the state likely reflect proximity to bat reservoirs and cross-border movement with Bangladesh.

Regional Screening Measures Despite WHO Guidance

While the WHO recommended against travel restrictions, several Asian countries have unilaterally implemented airport screening measures. Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam tightened health screenings for passengers arriving from India, particularly those transiting through West Bengal. These measures appear driven by regional caution rather than evidence-based risk assessment. No cases have been detected outside India, and the WHO's position reflects confidence in India's surveillance infrastructure and the virus's limited transmissibility. For travelers with upcoming plans to India, there is no need to alter itineraries based on Nipah concerns alone. Standard health precautions apply: avoid contact with sick animals, particularly bats and pigs in rural areas; practice hand hygiene; and steer clear of raw date palm sap, which has been implicated in previous Nipah transmissions in Bangladesh.

Healthcare Worker Risk and Hospital Protocol Gaps

The fact that both confirmed cases involve healthcare workers highlights ongoing infection prevention and control challenges in certain Indian medical facilities. Hospital-acquired Nipah infections have occurred in previous outbreaks, typically when healthcare staff lack adequate personal protective equipment or fail to recognize symptoms early. Travelers requiring medical care in affected districts should inquire about infection control protocols, particularly in private hospitals. Larger government hospitals and facilities with isolation wards are better equipped to handle infectious disease cases safely.

India's Outbreak Response Capacity

India's rapid deployment of containment measures demonstrates improved preparedness for zoonotic disease outbreaks. The National Joint Outbreak Response Team mobilized within days of case confirmation, and the establishment of a mobile BSL-3 lab in Barasat enabled real-time diagnostic capacity without shipping samples to distant reference laboratories. West Bengal health authorities implemented enhanced surveillance across North 24 Parganas and neighboring districts, focusing on early detection of fever and neurological symptoms. This aggressive contact tracing and testing effort accounts for the 190+ negative results and provides confidence that transmission has been limited. The WHO has designated Nipah as a priority pathogen requiring accelerated research and development. Several vaccine candidates are in development, though none are yet approved for human use. Given the virus's sporadic outbreak pattern and limited case numbers, vaccine deployment would likely target high-risk populations such as healthcare workers in endemic regions rather than general travelers.

Bottom Line for Travelers

India remains open for travel with no WHO-recommended restrictions related to Nipah. The outbreak is geographically confined, transmission is contained, and the global risk assessment is low. Travelers to West Bengal should maintain standard health precautions but need not avoid the region based on current evidence. Those transiting through affected Asian airports may encounter health screening questionnaires or temperature checks; cooperate with protocols and disclose any recent illness or animal contact if asked.