The Thai Ministry of Health said on January 25 that it had begun conducting medical checks on passengers from India to prevent the Nipah virus after recording five infections and nearly 100 people being quarantined in West Bengal. The screening was conducted at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, focusing on passengers from the West Bengal region.
Thai authorities have issued a "Health Warning Card" for people entering from dangerous areas. The card recommends that those who experience symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, drowsiness, confusion or convulsions—especially if they have been exposed to bats, sick animals or infected people within 21 days before coming to Thailand—must quickly seek medical attention.
In India, authorities are urgently controlling the Nipah outbreak after 3 new cases were recorded, bringing the total to 5. The first two cases were nurses working at a private hospital in Barasat, near Kolkata.
Not only Thailand, Nepal has also raised national vigilance to prevent the risk of Nipah virus intrusion. The Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal said it has deployed medical checks at Tribhuvan International Airport and border gates with India, especially in Koshi province.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah is one of the priority pathogens due to its large epidemic potential. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment.
This virus can cause many clinical manifestations, from unsympathetic infection to acute respiratory infections and fatal encephalitis.
Nipah belongs to the Henipavirus family, mainly existing in fruit bat Pteropus. The risk of human transmission can occur through contaminated food or direct contact.
With mortality rates in previous outbreaks ranging from 40% to 75%, Nipah continues to be a serious threat to public health.
