Local health authorities have called on residents to remain vigilant and take preventive measures following confirmed cases of the Nipah virus in India’s eastern state of West Bengal. Dr. Lei Wai Seng, deputy director of Islands Hospital, yesterday said the hospital is seeking more information to better respond to the virus. Indian authorities reported that they had contained a Nipah virus outbreak after confirming two cases in the eastern state of West Bengal, as several Asian countries tightened health screenings and airport surveillance for travelers arriving from India. Nipah, a zoonotic virus first identified during a 1999 outbreak in Malaysia, spreads through fruit bats, pigs, and human-to-human contact. The virus has an estimated fatality rate of 40%–75%, according to the WHO, making it far more deadly than the coronavirus.