treatment. The virus, carried by fruit bats and animals such as pigs, can cause fatal brain inflammation and spread through close human contact. The two cases were detected in late December in India’s eastern state of West Bengal. Both patients are health workers and are receiving treatment at a local hospital, a district health officer said. Indian authorities have traced 196 contacts linked to the cases, all of whom tested negative and showed no symptoms, the health ministry said, dismissing what it called “speculative and incorrect figures” circulating online. The infections have put neighbouring countries on alert. Singapore said it will introduce temperature screening at Changi Airport for flights arriving from affected areas in India and increase monitoring of newly arrived migrant workers from South Asia. Hong Kong authorities said enhanced health checks, including temperature screening for passengers arriving from India, were being implemented at its international airport. Thailand and Malaysia have also tightened airport measures. Thailand has designated specific parking bays for aircraft arriving from affected regions and requires passengers to complete health declarations. Malaysia said it was strengthening health screening at international entry points, particularly for travellers from high-risk countries. Nepal, which shares a busy border with India, said it was on high alert and had intensified traveller screening, while China said no cases had been detected domestically but warned of the risk of imported infections. Nipah was first identified in 1998 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore. India reports sporadic cases, particularly in Kerala state. The West Bengal cases are the state’s first in nearly two decades, following a fatal outbreak in 2007. Source : Cyprus Mail