Nipah virus: What it is, where it is found and how it spreads | News

India is moving quickly to contain a Nipah virus outbreak in the eastern state of West Bengal after two cases were confirmed by the federal health ministry.

It has sparked concern across Asia, with several countries introducing new Covid-style health checks at airports receiving flights from the region.

The virus has been described by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as a “serious infectious disease”, adding it is estimated that between 40 and 75 per cent of people infected with the virus will die.

It can be spread from animals to humans and transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person to person, but the risk to most people in Britain remains very low. No cases have ever been found in the UK.