Asian countries ramp up health screenings as India confirms Nipah cases
Five countries step up screenings over Nipah outbreak
- Indian authorities have announced the containment of a Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal, following the confirmation of two cases.
- The Health Ministry confirmed that 196 contacts of the infected patients were traced and all subsequently tested negative for the virus.
- Nipah is a zoonotic virus with an estimated fatality rate of between 40 and 75 per cent, for which there is no vaccine, only supportive care.
- Several Asian countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and China, have heightened health screenings and prevention measures for arrivals from India as a precaution.
- Previous Nipah outbreaks were reported in West Bengal in 2001 and 2007, with a major outbreak in Kerala in 2018, killing at least 17 people.