HYDERABAD, India: The World Health Organization (WHO) said on January 30 it sees a low risk of the Nipah virus spreading beyond India, offering reassurance after several Asian countries tightened airport screening following reports of infections.

India has confirmed two Nipah virus cases, prompting authorities in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to enhance health checks for arriving passengers this week as a precautionary measure.

"The WHO considers the risk of further spread of infection from these two cases is low," the WHO said in an email to Reuters, adding that it does not recommend travel or trade restrictions.

The agency said India has the capacity to contain such outbreaks and that there was no indication of broader transmission so far.

"There is no evidence yet of increased human-to-human transmission," the WHO said, adding that it has been coordinating closely with Indian health authorities.

The WHO cautioned, however, that further exposure to the virus cannot be ruled out. Nipah circulates naturally among bat populations in parts of India and neighbouring Bangladesh, where outbreaks are reported almost every year.

The virus is carried primarily by fruit bats and can also infect animals such as pigs. In humans, it can cause fever and brain inflammation and has a fatality rate estimated at 40 percent to 75 percent. There is no approved treatment or vaccine, though candidates remain under development and testing.

Transmission to humans typically occurs through contact with infected bats or consumption of fruit contaminated by them. Person-to-person spread is considered difficult and usually requires prolonged close contact with an infected person.

Virologists say small outbreaks are not unusual and that the overall risk to the general population remains low.

The WHO said the source of the current infections has not yet been fully identified. The agency classifies Nipah as a priority pathogen due to its high mortality rate, the absence of licensed vaccines or treatments, and concerns that it could mutate into a more easily transmissible form.

The two infected individuals are health workers from India's eastern state of West Bengal who contracted the virus in late December, according to local authorities. Both are currently receiving hospital treatment.

India has reported sporadic Nipah infections over the years, most frequently in the southern state of Kerala, which is regarded as one of the world's highest-risk regions for the virus. Since first appearing there in 2018, outbreaks in Kerala have been linked to dozens of deaths.

The current outbreak is the seventh documented in India and the third in West Bengal, the WHO said. Previous outbreaks in West Bengal occurred in 2001 and 2007, both in districts bordering Bangladesh.

Bangladesh experiences Nipah outbreaks almost annually, primarily driven by seasonal exposure to fruit contaminated by bats, according to public health experts.

Despite the virus's severity, health officials stress that vigilance, contact tracing, and rapid isolation have been effective in containing past outbreaks, limiting the risk of wider spread.