China says Nipah outbreak poses limited risk

China has not detected any cases of the highly fatal Nipah virus, and the recent cluster reported in India is expected to have only a limited impact on the country, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration said Tuesday.

India is coping with a fresh Nipah virus infection cluster, which has a fatality rate of about 45 to 70 percent. The Times of India reported Tuesday that at least five cases have been confirmed and around 100 close contacts have been placed under quarantine.

The Chinese administration said the latest outbreak is largely concentrated in India's West Bengal state, which does not border China.

"The virus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with infected animals, patients or contaminated materials. Its ability to survive in the general environment is weak, and the public has a low likelihood of exposure to infection," the administration said.

It confirmed that no cases have been reported in China and said the country is expected to face limited effects from the overseas outbreak.

"However, the risk of imported cases remains, and precautionary measures should be strengthened," it added.

The administration said it is closely monitoring and assessing the overseas epidemic situation, enhancing personnel training and strengthening response capabilities in border areas.

China has also developed, produced and stockpiled nucleic acid testing technologies for the Nipah virus. All provincial-level disease control centers are equipped to conduct targeted laboratory testing to enable prompt detection.

According to the administration, the Nipah virus is a zoonotic pathogen, with fruit bats serving as its primary natural hosts.

Humans can become infected through direct contact with infected animals or by consuming food contaminated with their bodily fluids or feces. The virus can also spread through close contact with infected patients or their bodily fluids.

Infection can cause a range of respiratory and neurological symptoms, including fever, coughing, breathing difficulties, headache and dizziness. The fatality rate ranges from about 40 to 75 percent.

There are currently no targeted therapeutics or vaccines against the virus, the administration said.

It advised travelers to affected regions to take heightened precautions and maintain personal hygiene.

Also Tuesday, Chinese researchers said a domestically developed antiviral drug, originally approved for COVID-19, has shown significant antiviral activity against the Nipah virus and could be "a very promising oral candidate" for treatment.

The findings on the drug, known as VV116, were published in November in the international journal Emerging Microbes & Infections. The research was led by teams from the Wuhan Institute of Virology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, and Vigonvita Life Science.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology shared the research on its social media account on Tuesday.