Indian authorities have declared a recent outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus contained, as several Asian countries step up health screening for travellers arriving from India.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday night that “timely containment” measures had been successfully implemented following the confirmation of two cases in West Bengal.
According to the ministry, 196 contacts linked to the cases were identified, traced, monitored and tested, with all results returning negative.
Officials said the clarification was necessary to counter what they described as “speculative and incorrect figures” circulating in the media, adding that the situation remains under constant monitoring with enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing and field investigations in place.
Despite the reassurance from New Delhi, a number of countries across Asia have introduced precautionary measures at airports and border points. China announced stricter disease prevention controls in border areas and said health authorities had begun risk assessments and specialised training for medical personnel.
Indonesia and Thailand have increased screening at major airports, including health declarations, temperature checks and visual monitoring of passengers arriving from India.
Myanmar advised against non-essential travel to West Bengal and intensified fever surveillance at airports, while Vietnam ordered closer monitoring at border crossings, health facilities and communities.
Malaysia also confirmed the introduction of health screening at international ports of entry.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease transmitted through fruit bats, pigs and human-to-human contact. There is no vaccine or specific treatment, with care focused on managing symptoms and complications.
The World Health Organization estimates the virus has a fatality rate of between 40 and 75 percent.
First identified in Malaysia in the late 1990s, Nipah has since caused outbreaks in Bangladesh, the Philippines and India.
In India, the southern state of Kerala has recorded cases almost every year since 2018.
