India Confirms Two Fatal Nipah Virus Cases

The World Health Organization (WHO) today published an update on the Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in India. Since 2018, Kerala has experienced nine outbreaks of the Nipah virus, which is part of a pattern of recurring spillovers.

As of August 6, 2025, Kerala State health officials have reported four cases to the WHO since mid-May, two of which have been fatal.

Of the latest four patients in India's southwest area, two are from Malappuram district, where previous cases had been reported. The other two are from Palakkad district, which had not seen any earlier cases.

According to the WHO, NiV infection is a bat-borne zoonotic disease transmitted to humans through infected animals, or food contaminated with saliva, urine, and excreta of infected animals.

Since 1998, NiV outbreaks have been reported in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.

Currently, the risk of international disease spread is considered low, as there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of NiV internationally in this event.

The WHO wrote that, with no licensed vaccine or treatment available, public health efforts should focus on raising awareness of risk factors and promoting preventive measures to reduce exposure to the virus, and on early case detection supported by adequate intensive supportive care.

In 2023, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations invested $$100 million in four Nipah vaccine candidates: Auro Vacc, PATH, Public Health Vaccines, the University of Tokyo, and the University of Oxford.

Recently, the U.S. government announced a project in 2025 that would support the development of a Nipah monoclonal antibody (MBP1F5), currently undergoing Phase 1 testing in India and Bangladesh.