The government's handling of the virus has been strongly criticized by scientists and doctors who fear the outbreak will gather pace among a population of around 210 million and overwhelm the country's struggling health system.

The Middle East has confirmed over 85,000 cases of the virus and over 3,700 deaths, most of them in Iran.

As India and other South Asian nations work to stop the spread of the virus, they face another battle: reams of misinformation.