09:35, 29 января 2026, Bishkek - 24-kg.com news agency , Anastasia BENGARD
The risk of Nipah virus spreading outside India is currently low, the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in Russia told RIA Novosti.
The WHO is closely monitoring the situation surrounding two confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection reported in West Bengal.
The organization considers Nipah one of the most dangerous in the world; there is no cure or vaccine for it. The virus causes fever and encephalopathy—damage and death of brain cells—with a fatality rate of 40 to 75 percent.
Nipah is spread by flying foxes and bats; humans typically become infected by eating fruit contaminated with the saliva of an infected animal. The virus can also be transmitted by domestic animals. However, it is almost never transmitted through the air and requires direct contact with the body fluids of infected individuals.
Earlier, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health stated that there is no reason to panic. The country’s healthcare system is prepared to quickly respond to potential epidemiological threats.
At the same time, effective January 28, the country’s Veterinary, Livestock, Pasture, and Feed Development Service imposed temporary restrictions on the import of animals susceptible to the Nipah virus and animal products from India.