Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Jan 31: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said two laboratory-confirmed cases of Nipah virus (NiV) infection have been reported in India.

In its latest Disease Outbreak News, the WHO stated that the National IHR Focal Point for India informed the agency on Monday about the two cases detected in West Bengal.

The WHO said the infection was confirmed at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, on January 13, adding that both cases involve healthcare workers at a private hospital.

Indian authorities have identified and tested over 190 contacts, all of whom have tested negative, and no further cases have been detected so far, the WHO noted.

This is the third Nipah outbreak reported in West Bengal, following previous outbreaks in 2001 and 2007. The WHO said enhanced surveillance and infection prevention and control measures are currently in place, while investigations continue to trace the source of exposure.

Nipah virus infection is a serious but rare zoonotic disease, which can spread from animals to humans and, in some cases, through human-to-human transmission.

The WHO assessed the risk posed by Nipah as moderate at the sub-national level, and low at the national, regional and global levels.