An outbreak of the Nipah virus has been reported in India's eastern state of West Bengal, prompting local authorities to implement containment measures, with around 100 people placed under home quarantine and one patient reported to be in critical condition, according to British media the Independent.

Thailand has stepped up disease prevention measures at several major airports, introducing infectious disease screening for travelers arriving from West Bengal, local media reported.

First identified in Malaysia in 1998, the Nipah virus is classified by the World Health Organization as a deadly zoonotic disease, primarily carried by fruit bats. The virus can spread to humans through contaminated food or direct human-to-human transmission. There is currently no specific treatment or approved vaccine for the disease.