Officials in India said they have contained an outbreak of the Nipah virus.
There were two cases in West Bengal that prompted several Asian countries to increase health screenings for travelers from India.
The Associated Press said the cases were reported over the past few weeks and identified contacts have been quarantined and tested.
No specifics were given for the two people who were sickened, but of the 196 identified contacts, all tested negative.
Thailand started screening checkpoints for people from the region, while Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control planned to list it as a Category 5 threat, The Washington Post reported.
What is Nipah?
Nipah is a zoonotic virus that was identified in the 1990s in Malaysia. It spreads through flying fox bats, pigs and human-to-human contact, the AP reported.
Someone can be infected by eating fruit or other food that is contaminated by the animals that carry the virus.
What are the symptoms, and how is it treated?
The symptoms of Nipah are high fevers, convulsions and vomiting, the AP reported.
There is also cough, headache, muscle pain and difficulty breathing. There could also be brain swelling, the Post reported.
There are no vaccines for Nipah, but some are in trials. The treatment is supportive care to control complications and keep people comfortable.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it has an estimated fatality rate of between 40% and 75%. The “rate can vary by outbreak depending on local capabilities for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management,” the organization said.
The 1999 outbreak among pig farmers killed more than 100 people, the Post reported.
How common is Nipah?
While not many people are aware of the virus, there are outbreaks of it almost every year in South Asia, the Post reported.