How the Virus Spreads

Nipah is a zoonotic virus, meaning it spreads from animals to humans. The virus is carried mainly by fruit bats found in parts of Asia and Australia.

People can become infected through contact with bat saliva or urine, contaminated food, or infected animals such as pigs. In some cases, the virus can spread from person to person—especially among family members or healthcare workers caring for infected patients.

Past Outbreaks

The virus was first identified in 1998 after an outbreak on pig farms in Malaysia. That outbreak caused over 100 deaths and led to widespread concern about how quickly the virus could spread.

More recently, an outbreak in Bangladesh in 2023 was linked to people drinking raw date palm sap, a known risk factor warned about by the World Health Organization (WHO).

India’s state of Kerala has dealt with Nipah outbreaks several times since 2018, but they have remained limited and contained.