Airports Step Up Screenings After Nipah Virus Cases in India
Countries in Asia are screening travelers for symptoms; officials say the outbreak isn't major but urge caution
TUESDAY, Jan. 27, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Health officials across parts of Asia are stepping up disease checks after several people in India were diagnosed with Nipah virus, a rare but deadly infection that can spread from animals to humans.
So far, five people have tested positive, Thai officials confirmed. India’s National Center for Disease Control said the outbreak is “not major” and remains limited to two districts in the southwest Indian state of Kerala: Kozhikode and Malappuram.
Still, nearby countries are taking precautions.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (TDDC) said it has begun screening travelers at international checkpoints, using safety steps similar to those seen during the COVID pandemic.
"Measures have been taken to monitor travelers," the agency said. "[If] travelers [are found] with high fever or have symptoms compatible with Nipah virus infection, additional screening will be done at the international communicable disease control checkpoint."
The TDDC director general warned that Nipah “can cause neurological symptoms and has a relatively high death rate.”
Nipah virus usually spreads from animals, most often fruit bats or pigs, to people, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Symptoms can range from fever to severe brain infection and in some cases, death.
India’s Ministry of Health has shared safety guidance, urging people to:
Wash fruit before eating.
Drink boiled or chlorine-treated water.
Wear protective clothing when handling animals and their habitats.
Avoid fruit that appears partly eaten or has fallen from trees.
Stay away from raw date palm juice.
Avoid contact with sick or dead animals.
Indian officials are also testing bats at Kolkata’s Alipore Zoo to check for possible spread.
"The team collected swab samples from bats. They have followed all the protocols during the process," the zoo's director, Tripti Sah, told Fox News.
More information
The World Health Organization has more on the Nipah virus.
SOURCE: FOX News, Jan. 26, 2026
By I. Edwards HealthDay ReporterCopyright © 2026 HealthDay. All rights reserved.