As global concern grows over a rare, deadly Nipah virus outbreak in India, the Texas Department of State Health Services is evaluating potential risk to the state. So far, two cases have been confirmed in India, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Cases of Nipah virus infection were first reported in 1998 and since then have been reported in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, according to WHO. No cases of Nipha virus infections have been reported in the United States.
DSHS told MySA that Texas officials are aware of the Nipah cases in India. Health officials said the risk to Texans at this time is very low. DSHS added that the department is available to help evaluate patients if clinicians suspect Nipah and coordinate consultation and testing with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as needed.
The CDC has not released any travel notices for India in response to the cases reported. At this time, standard traveler health and safety messaging would apply to any Texas travelers, DSHS said.
What is the Nipah virus?
The Nipah virus is zoonotic, usually transmitted from animals to humans, but can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people, according to the WHO. It’s carried by fruit bats, also known as flying foxes.
In 1999, Nipah was first discovered following an outbreak in pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore, according to the CDC. In this outbreak, 300 people got sick, and more than 100 of those people died. In this first outbreak, bats initially spread the Nipah virus to pigs.
No new outbreaks have been reported from Malaysia or Singapore since 1999. However, in 2001, Nipah virus infection outbreaks were detected in India and Bangladesh. In India, outbreaks are periodically reported in several parts of the country, including the latest one in 2026.
On January 26, the two cases were confirmed among 25-year-old nurses, a woman and a man, in West Bengal. Both are healthcare workers at the same private hospital in Barasat, with one on mechanical ventilation as of January 21 and the other experiencing severe neurological illness but is improving.
What are the symptoms of the Nipah virus?
The Nipah virus can cause mild to severe disease, including swelling of the brain and death, according to the CDC. In the first 3 to 14 days, people will experience fever, headache, cough, sore throat and difficulty breathing.
Later in the infection, some people may experience brain swelling, or encephalitis, where severe symptoms can include confusion, drowsiness and seizures, according to the CDC. People with these symptoms could fall into a coma within 24 to 48 hours. Around 40 to 70% of people with Nipah die, health officials said.
There is currently no treatment or vaccine available for the Nipah virus, according to the WHO. However, health officials said several candidate products are under development.
What is the likelihood of the Nipah virus spreading?
As Texas health officials said, the risk of the Nipah virus spreading is low. WHO said the public health risk posed by the Nipah virus at the global level is low, as there has been no confirmed spread of cases outside India.