The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has advised Maldivians traveling to India’s West Bengal state to exercise caution following the detection of Nipah virus cases.
HPA said the advisory was issued after three Nipah virus cases were confirmed in West Bengal. While the agency stressed that the risk to the Maldives remains low, it said authorities are closely monitoring the situation in India.
More than 180 contacts linked to the confirmed cases have been identified and placed under monitoring. No additional cases have been reported elsewhere in India or in other countries in connection with the outbreak.
Nipah is a highly fatal virus that spreads from animals to humans, primarily through fruit bats. First identified in Malaysia in 1998, the virus has since been reported mainly in India and Bangladesh.
