SINGAPORE, 31 JANUARY 2026—While the recent Nipah virus cases in India have sparked concern, overall, the risk of the infection beyond the current known region is very low. Such sporadic outbreaks have been occurring almost every year in India and Bangladesh. Although similar bats exist in many different regions, unique farming and cultural practices in India and Bangladesh are considered a risk factor for human infection.
The virus, which is carried by fruit bats and animals such as pigs, can cause fever and brain inflammation and has a fatality rate of between 40 and 75 per cent. Although it can spread from person to person in very unusual cases, transmission is not easy and typically requires prolonged contact with an infected individual.
In Singapore, authorities have announced stepped-up measures to monitor the spread of the virus, including screening visitors with travel history to affected regions.
Nevertheless, there are still challenges in early detection and diagnosis. The Nipah infection can present respiratory or neurological symptoms, making it hard to differentiate from other infections.
It is critical to have rapid detection and diagnostic platforms ready if suspected cases are detected. A rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or antigen test will be key in any emergency hospital setting. High risk groups are those with contact to bats and having a travel history to the affected areas.
In terms of vaccine development, the technical and scientific hurdles are not high. The research community has already developed effective vaccines and therapeutics (including monoclonal antibodies and small molecule drugs), which demonstrated good performance in pre-clinical studies. However, commercialisation remains challenging due to the lack of market demand. The most viable pathway forward may then lie in a public-good approach, although this is also complex. Nevertheless, organisations such as the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations are working very hard to advance these efforts.
Professor Wang Linfa
Emerging Infectious Diseases Signature Research Programme
Duke-NUS Medical School