What is the Nipah virus?

An outbreak of the Nipah virus in the Indian state of West Bengal is raising concern in parts of Asia, leading some airports to implement precautionary health screenings.

So far, five confirmed infections, including among doctors and nurses, have led to a quarantine of 100 people and the hospitalization of others at various medical facilities in Kolkata, according to the Times of India.

Three Thai airports that receive flights from West Bengal have started screening passengers on arrival. Nepal has also begun screening travellers at the Kathmandu airport and land border crossings with India, the BBC reported.

India’s health ministry says 196 people known to have been in contact with the infected individuals have tested negative, according to the outlet.

Nipah virus, which can be deadly, is transmitted through several pathways, including from animals to humans — primarily through fruit bats — via contaminated food, or directly between humans and can cause anything from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Read more to find out what this virus is.

Pizza Pops contaminated with E. coli

A growing number of Canadians have become ill after consuming or handling Pillsbury Pizza Pops that may have been contaminated with E. coli O26, including more hospitalizations, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Twenty-nine reported illnesses have been linked to the contaminated products, up from 24 as of Dec. 24, 2025. 12 of which are in Alberta, six in Saskatchewan, four in British Columbia, two each in Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick, and one in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Seven hospitalizations have been tied to the recalled Pizza Pops, compared to five at the previous update. Those locations were not shared by the agency.

There have been no reported deaths tied to the consumption of the recalled products as of the last update by officials.

Read more to find out about why this situation is considered an outbreak.

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Shovelling snow can put a strain on your heart

As people in Eastern Canada dig out from heavy snowfall — record-breaking, in some places — health-care professionals are reminding Canadians “be kind” to your heart when shovelling snow.

With that amount of snow, people are bound to grab a snow shovel but Dr. Lesley James says people should be careful.

“More people die from a heart attack during the winter months and the likelihood of having a heart attack actually increases after snowfall,” said Dr. Lesley James, director of health policy and systems at Heart & Stroke.

“That is because of the way that the cold weather affects our bodies, but then the strenuous activity from shovelling that snow puts a lot of strain on our hearts.”

Read more as experts talk about how to stay safe as millions dig out