India announced two confirmed cases of Nipah virus in mid-January 2026, which started a global concern. Multiple Asian countries have now started border and airport screenings. China, Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore and Malaysia are among the growing list of countries which are strengthening their border control measures and screenings.

However, it's still surprising that a disease which may be very deadly in nature but has just killed approximately 260-400 people over the years could initiate such fear globally. There are very valid reasons for me and others trained in combating infectious disease outbreaks to be alert even when a disease has such a small footprint until now.

Nipah is a very deadly virus. Its natural hosts or reservoirs are fruit bats and flying foxes. It's a zoonotic disease, which means it is spread from animals to humans. It's very fatal, and in countries with weak health systems, its fatality rate could reach up to 75%. With no vaccines or approved........

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