The Health Minister of West Bengal announced that an additional 196 individuals have been tested for Nipah Virus Disease within the province. This follows the tracing of contacts connected to confirmed cases.

“In total, 196 contacts associated with the confirmed cases have been identified, traced, monitored, and tested,” the statement detailed. “All individuals traced were found to be asymptomatic, with test results returning negative for Nipah Virus.”

The statement further assured that the situation is being closely monitored, and all necessary public health protocols are actively implemented to ensure safety.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, the virus poses a significant threat, with a fatality rate ranging between 40% and 75% for those infected.

Between 40 and 75 per cent of people infected by the virus do not survive, the UK Health Security Agency said.

“Some survivors may be left with lasting neurological difficulties, including persistent seizures and personality changes,” the agency said in a statement.

“In rare cases, the virus can reactivate months or even years after the initial infection.”

While fruit bats are natural hosts of the virus, it is capable of spreading to pigs, dogs, cats, goats, horses and sheep. 

The virus can be spread from animals to humans or person-to-person via contaminated food.

The virus can often survive in fruit or fruit juice, which has been contaminated with the bodily fluids of infected bats.

The most common examples stem from the consumption of raw date palm sap.

There are documented cases of the spread of the virus between infected patients and those taking care of them.

In humans, symptoms typically appear between four and 21 days after infection.

When the symptoms do appear, they can be sudden.

Flu-like symptoms, fever and pneumonia can develop.

But the virus also commonly causes meningitis or encephalitis (swelling of the brain), conditions which are often fatal.

There is no vaccination or treatment for the virus.

“Hong Kong has the ability to detect infections of unknown causes and emerging infectious diseases at boundary control points and in hospitals,” Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Edwin Tsui said.

An earlier statement from Australia’s Department of Agriculture said it was possible for virus from fruit bats to move into the country from South East Asia.

“Australia is currently free of Nipah virus, however, an incursion of this virus would have serious consequences for both animal and human health,” the statement read.

“Over one million pigs were slaughtered in Malaysia in an attempt to control this disease.”

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