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International airports across Asia have reactivated rigorous health screening protocols following a confirmed outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV) in West Bengal, India.
As of Tuesday, Indian health authorities have confirmed five cases of the zoonotic virus in the Barasat region near Kolkata. The cluster, which reportedly began with two nurses at a private hospital, has raised global alarms due to the virus’s high fatality rate (estimated between 40% and 75%) and the lack of a specific vaccine or cure.
International Response: ‘Health Beware Cards’
Thailand was among the first to respond, with the Ministry of Public Health implementing mandatory screening for passengers arriving from India at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket airports.
Thai officials are issuing “Health Beware Cards” to travelers from risk areas. These cards instruct visitors to monitor themselves for symptoms such as fever, headache, and respiratory distress for 21 days—the virus’s maximum incubation period.
“We are using a model similar to our COVID-19 protocols. Passengers from West Bengal are being monitored closely, and those with high temperatures will be immediately isolated,” stated a Thai health official.
Nepal and Taiwan have also ramped up surveillance at border points and airports, deploying thermal scanners to detect potential carriers before they enter the general population. Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection is maintaining a “low risk” assessment but has proactively contacted the World Health Organization (WHO) for real-time updates.
The Situation in West Bengal
The outbreak is currently centered in the North 24 Parganas district. It began when healthcare workers contracted the virus while treating a suspected index patient who later died.
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- Current Toll: 5 confirmed cases (including a doctor and nurses).
- Quarantine: Approximately 100 close contacts are in isolation.
- Transmission: Authorities suspect the initial spillover came from contaminated date palm sap—a common route for the bat-borne virus during winter months—followed by human-to-human transmission in a hospital setting.
Why Is This Dangerous?
The Nipah virus is classified by the WHO as a “priority pathogen” because of its epidemic potential. It spreads from animals to humans (typically via fruit bats or pigs) and can also transmit directly between people through bodily fluids.
Symptoms often start as flu-like but can rapidly progress to severe encephalitis (brain inflammation) and coma within 24 to 48 hours.
Travel Advice: Experts advise travelers in the affected regions to avoid raw date palm sap, wash fruits thoroughly, and steer clear of known bat habitats. While the risk to general tourists remains low, the aggressive response from neighboring countries highlights the severity of the threat.
Stay tuned to HotBuzz for updates on travel advisories and health guidelines.
