Trump administration on alert as deadly virus with no cure sparks COVID-era quarantines

US health officials are ‘monitoring’ the deadly Nipah virus outbreak in India that has put nearly 200 people under surveillance and triggered COVID-era travel restrictions over fears of a fresh pandemic.

CDC officials told the Daily Mail they were in ‘close contact’ with authorities on the ground to assess the situation.

A spokesman said: ‘CDC is monitoring the situation and stands ready to assist as needed.’

India’s health ministry revealed Wednesday that 196 people who came into contact with infected patients are now being monitored for the virus, which can spread from person-to-person and kills 40 to 75 percent of those it infects.

This is 86 more individuals than yesterday, though officials said none were showing symptoms and all had tested negative for the virus thus far.

India has so far confirmed two Nipah cases, in two nurses, though local media report that three additional patients, a doctor, nurse and another staff member also had symptoms.

They reportedly became infected after treating a patient at the hospital who had a respiratory disease. The individual died before they could be tested for the virus.

The patients work at a hospital around 15 miles outside Kolkata, West Bengal, India’s third-largest metropolitan area and home to 16 million people.

Following the news, Singapore and Hong Kong became the latest countries in the region to impose travel restrictions on arrivals from India, including temperature screening and mandatory health declaration forms. On Wednesday, the UK also warned travelers about the outbreak.

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