Indian health authorities said Tuesday they have contained a Nipah virus outbreak in the eastern state of West Bengal after confirming two cases, prompting several Asian countries to tighten health screening and surveillance for travelers arriving from India.

India’s Health Ministry said the two cases were detected in December and that all identified contacts had been traced, quarantined and tested. A total of 196 contacts were screened, all of whom tested negative. The ministry did not release details about the patients.

“The situation is under constant monitoring, and all necessary public health measures are in place,” the ministry said.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus first identified during an outbreak in Malaysia in the 1990s. It spreads through fruit bats, pigs and close human contact. There is no vaccine, and treatment is limited to supportive care to manage symptoms. According to the World Health Organization, the virus has a fatality rate of between 40% and 75%.

No cases have been reported outside India. However, several Asian nations introduced or reinforced airport screening measures after early media reports suggested a surge in infections. Indian health officials later said those reports were “speculative and incorrect.”

Indonesia and Thailand increased screening at major airports, introducing health declarations, temperature checks and visual monitoring of arriving passengers. Thailand’s Department of Disease Control said thermal scanners have been installed at arrival gates for direct flights from West Bengal at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Myanmar’s Health Ministry advised against nonessential travel to West Bengal and urged travelers to seek medical care if symptoms develop within 14 days of travel. The ministry said fever surveillance systems introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic have been intensified for arrivals from India, alongside expanded laboratory testing and medical preparedness.