Indian authorities said they ensured a "timely containment" of the deadly Nipah virus after two cases were confirmed in West Bengal state in December, but there is no truth to a claim circulating on social media alongside an AI-generated image that an emergency lockdown had been implemented. The health ministry said no additional cases of the virus had been detected, and the World Health Organization (WHO) said it does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions.

"Indian authorities issued an emergency lockdown order after the Nipah virus was detected in several areas," reads part of a Malay-language Facebook post shared on January 28, 2026.

The post is accompanied by an image appearing to show armed police officers guarding a street lined with ambulances as healthcare workers in full personal protective equipment walk past.

Screenshot of the false post taken on January 30, 2026 with a red X added by AFP

Similar posts were shared elsewhere on Facebook and Instagram after Indian authorities said they had ensured "timely containment" of the deadly Nipah virus after two cases were confirmed in West Bengal state since December (archived link).

The cases marked the third Nipah outbreak in West Bengal, following previous outbreaks in Siliguri in 2001 and Nadia in 2007, according to the WHO. Multiple other outbreaks were also documented in the coastal Kerala state.

Nipah, which spreads from animals to humans, has no vaccine and a fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 percent.

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