Nipah virus is transmitted by fruit eating bats. The bats may transmit the virus to other animals, such as pigs. Humans can be affected when they come in contact with items that are contaminated by infected bats' excreta. In Bangladesh, people were affected by the virus when they drank date palm toddy which was contaminated by bats. In Malaysia and Singapore, humans were affected by pigs that came into contact with bats. Nipah virus can transmit from people to people also. The caretakers of the sick are more likely to be affected because the virus transmits through body fluids such as saliva, blood, urine etc. The virus is not known to transmit through air. 