UPDATE 1-WHO says Nipah virus risk low in India with no sign of spread

A World Health Organization official said on ‌Friday that the risk of the spread of the Nipah virus is low, saying that none of the ⁠over 190 contacts of the two people infected in India had tested positive or developed symptoms of the disease. Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are among ​the Asian locations that tightened airport screening checks this week to guard against ‍such a spread after India confirmed infections.

A World Health Organization official said on ‌Friday that the risk of the spread of the Nipah virus is low, saying that none of the ⁠over 190 contacts of the two people infected in India had tested positive or developed symptoms of the disease.

Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are among ​the Asian locations that tightened airport screening checks this week to guard against ‍such a spread after India confirmed infections. "The risk on a national, regional and global level is considered low," Anais Legand, an official with WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, told a Geneva ⁠press ‌briefing, saying that neither ⁠person travelled while symptomatic. Both of the infected patients are hospitalised and are alive, she ‍added, with one showing signs of improvement.

Legand said the WHO was waiting for India ​to release the sequence of the virus to assess any possible ⁠mutation but said there was "no specific evidence that would make us worry for the time being". Carried by ⁠fruit bats and animals such as pigs, the virus can cause fever and brain inflammation. It has a fatality rate ranging from 40% to ⁠75%, with no cure. Vaccines in development are still being tested.

The source of ⁠this infection ‌is not yet fully understood. Hypotheses such as infection from drinking palm juice or exposure at healthcare facilities are being ⁠considered, Legand said.

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