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Nipah

What is it?

Nipah disease is a viral zoonotic infection caused by the Nipah virus, found in the fruit bat, which is the natural reservoir host. (1) The bat-borne pathogen was first identified in Malaysia in 1998, and has been associated with outbreaks across Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. (1, 2)

Cases are reported almost yearly in Bangladesh, and periodically in parts of India. (3) India is currently experiencing an outbreak of two confirmed cases in West Bengal, an area that has not seen cases of the virus for nearly 20 years. (4, 5) The two cases have been reported in healthcare workers and have been epidemiologically linked. (4, 5) The Indian National Joint Outbreak Investigation Response team identified 196 contacts, who have all tested negative. (5)

One case has been reported in Bangladesh in February 2026, and has been linked to the consumption of contaminated sap from date palms. (4) Outbreak investigation and contact tracing identified 35 contacts, who have all tested negative. (6)

Australia is home to the bat species, Pteropus spp, which is the reservoir host for Nipah virus, however there is no evidence that Nipah virus is in the Australian bat population, and there have been no Nipah virus cases reported in Australia. (5)

Symptoms

In humans, the virus can cause a broad range of symptoms that range from an asymptomatic, mild flu-like illness to a severe and rapidly progressing illness that affects the respiratory and central nervous system. (1, 5)

Symptoms appear 3 – 14 days after exposure, and include a rise in temperature, with drowsiness and headache, followed by confusion and disorientation, and/or respiratory symptom including difficulty breathing and cough. (1, 3) Severe disease can occur in any patient and presents with neurological symptoms, progressing to encephalitis and often death. (3)

How is it transmitted?

There are several transmission pathways of the Nipah virus, including animal-to-human, person-to-person or via contaminated food. (4) Animal to human contact occurs when people come in contact with infected secretions from fruit bats or infected intermediate hosts, like pigs. (1, 4) Contaminated food can also play a role in transmission, particularly via date palm sap that has been partially consumed and contaminated by infected bats. (3, 4)

Person-to-person transmission is inefficient and requires very close contact with an infected individual or exposure to their body fluids. (5) Person-to-person transmission does not happen easily and requires close, prolonged contact with an infected person, and inadequate implementation of infection prevention and control measures. (3, 4)

At risk groups?

People are at an increased risk of exposure if they live in or travel to areas where Nipah virus is active, particularly if they have contact with infected animals, are exposed to contaminated foods, or are healthcare workers providing care to an infected person. (7)

Prevention?

There is currently no vaccine available for Nipah virus, but it has been identified by the WHO as a priority disease for research and development. (3, 4) While there are also no specific treatments, early diagnosis with high-quality supportive medical care can prevent death. (3)

Preventative measures include increasing the awareness of risk factors to protect people, animals, and to prevent transmission. These include reducing the risk of transmission from bats and protecting palms and fresh food products from bat contamination. (3) Gloves and protective clothing can reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission and should be worn when handling sick animals and protecting animals in areas where fruit bats are found. (3) Human-to-human transmission can be reduced through isolation, the implementation of contact and droplet precautions, and airborne precautions during aerosol-generating procedures. (3)

Key messages:

  • Cases and outbreaks have only been reported in South and Southeast Asia, there have been no cases in Australia.
  • Person-to-person transmission is rare but can occur from close prolonged contact.
  • The risk of Nipah virus infection in Australia and New Zealand is very low. (7)

References

  1. Singh RK, Dhama K, Chakraborty S, Tiwari R, Natesan S, Khandia R, et al. Nipah virus: epidemiology, pathology, immunobiology and advances in diagnosis, vaccine designing and control strategies – a comprehensive review. Vet Q. 2019;39(1):26-55.
  2. Australian centre for Disease Control. Nipah virus infections reported overseas. Australian Centre for Disease Control 2026 29 Jan 2026.
  3. World Health Organization. Nipah virus 2026 [Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/nipah-virus.
  4. Keck. E. Nipah virus: What we know and how Australian researchers are responding: CSIRO; 2026 [Available from: https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2026/february/nipah-virus-explainer.
  5. Australian Centre for Disease Control. Nipah virus infection in West Bengal, India: Situation update. Australian Centre for Disease Control 2026 30 January 2026. Report No.: Situation update 1.
  6. Australian Centre for Disease Control. Nipah virus infection in West Bengal, India and Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Australian Centre for Disease Control; 2026.
  7. Victorian Department of Health. Nipah virus infection Melbourne: Department of Health; 2026 [updated 4 Feb 2026. Available from: https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/nipah-virus-infection.