World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday cautioned that while Nipah virus infections are uncommon, they are highly serious. He added that the recent cases linked to the outbreak have been confined to India, with no reports from any other country. The warning came a day after the WHO stated that the virus poses a low risk of wider spread and does not warrant any travel or trade restrictions.
The two case of Nipah virus infection reported by India in West Bengal are the third in this state since the virus was first identified in 1998,” Ghebreyesus worte in a post on X. He also said that authorities in India were following over 190 contacts, and none have developed the disease so far.“Authorities have increased disease surveillance and testing, implemented prevention and control measures in health care settings, and are keeping the public informed about how to protect themselves,” he further wrote.
