{"id":445244,"date":"2026-01-29T13:45:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/445244\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T13:45:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:45:33","slug":"australia-officials-monitoring-outbreak-of-very-serious-nipah-virus-after-two-confirmed-cases-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/445244\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia officials monitoring outbreak of \u2018very serious\u2019 Nipah virus after two confirmed cases in India"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian authorities are monitoring \u201cvery closely\u201d the spread of the potentially deadly Nipah virus<\/a> after an outbreak prompted countries across Asia to bring back COVID<\/a>-era airport screening.<\/p>\n

Indian<\/a> officials confirmed the virus had been detected in two people in West Bengal, while almost 200 close contacts were found to be asymptomatic and had tested negative during a period of quarantine.<\/p>\n

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Nipah virus outbreak triggers airport screening across Asia.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

The little-known zoonotic illness is transmitted to people from animals, typically fruit bats and pigs, but can also be spread through contaminated food or, less commonly, directly from person-to-person.<\/p>\n

It has a fatality rate of between 40\u201375 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very serious virus. It\u2019s relatively rare but its mortality rate is very high for a respiratory virus so obviously I think all countries are monitoring this reported outbreak very closely,\u201d Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny advice we receive from authorities we\u2019ll follow very seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TwoTwo people in India have been confirmed as Nipah virus cases. Credit: 7NEWS\"AirportAirport screening has returned across Asia in response to confirmed cases of the Nipah virus. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n

Butler said Australian officials are engaging with other authorities internationally, including the WHO.<\/p>\n

He said more information would be going up on the Australian Centre for Disease Control\u2019s website, and travellers heading to India should monitor Smartraveller for further advice.<\/p>\n

Infections can range from \u201casymptomatic infection to acute respiratory infection, seizures and fatal encephalitis\u201d, according to the WHO.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe incubation period is from four to 14 days but an incubation period as long as 45 days has been reported,\u201d the agency said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people make a full recovery, although some are left with residual neurological conditions after acute encephalitis.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome cases of relapse have been reported.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SymptomsSymptoms of the Nipah virus. Credit: 7NEWS\"NarayanaNarayana Multispeciality Hospital where two Nipah cases were detected since December. Credit: AP<\/p>\n

An outbreak in Kerala, in southern India, killed 17 people in 2018, and at least two people died from the illness in the same region in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There have been no confirmed cases of the disease outside of India during this latest outbreak, although authorities in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, China, Malaysia and Indonesia, including Bali, have introduced precautionary measures, including airport screening, to prevent the infection from spreading.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course we are all afraid of all the viruses, especially after (COVID-19),\u201d Bali tourist Firat Unlu told 7NEWS.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything changed and we lost so (many) people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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