Health Dept. assures SA there is "no immediate risk" of Nipah virus
South Africa is currently under “no immediate risk” of the Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak reported in India. This is according to the Department of Health (DoH), which assured in a statement that there is “no need for the public to panic.”
Image credit: Reuters
Two cases of the potentially fatal virus were reported by Indian authorities in January 2026.
Monitoring situation
“The department is working closely with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which is closely monitoring the situation as the outbreak evolves and will keep the public informed of any new developments.
“The scientists have advised that at this stage, there is a very low risk outside the affected countries and there is no need for screening at ports of entry.
"Meanwhile, the NICD will be offering training to the Civil Aviation Authority as part of efforts to assist in communicating the message through the airlines and airport staff,” the statement read.
The department explained that the virus jumps from animals to humans, usually “transmitted from animals like bats to humans”.
However, it can also be transmitted from contaminated food or directly between people.
“The virus is currently not categorised under notifiable medical conditions, but will be categorised as a respiratory disease of unknown origin, which is notifiable.
"Laboratory testing is available at the NICD, and key resources have been updated to include current outbreak specifics.
“Transmission of this deadly virus to humans can occur from direct contact with infected animals like bats, farming animals such as pigs or horses and by consuming fruits or fruit products, such as raw date palm juice, contaminated by infected fruit bats.
"Some of the symptoms of Nipah virus include fever, headache, difficulty breathing or cough.
No treatment
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is currently no treatment or vaccine available for this virus; several candidate products are under development.
"Early intensive supportive care can improve survival.
"This means non-pharmaceutical interventions such as hygiene practices remain one of the most effective prevention methods to reduce the spread of the virus,” the department added.
Animal-to-human transmission risk can be reduced by “wearing gloves and other protective clothing while handling sick animals such as pigs or horses, and during slaughtering and culling procedures.”