As soon as news of suspected Nipah virus cases in West Bengal and surrounding areas of India emerged, neighboring Asian countries have become alert and taken strict health measures. Like the COVID pandemic, thermal scanning, health declarations, and medical teams have been deployed at airports and border checkpoints. This situation is occurring according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), and these measures are necessary to avoid risk among travelers.
Thailand and Singapore have made thermal scanning mandatory at airports for all passengers coming from West Bengal and surrounding areas. This ensures that if there are signs of fever or other symptoms, passengers are immediately sent for medical examination. Nepal has deployed special health teams at checkpoints on the borders with India and China, where each passenger is thoroughly checked. Similarly, the process of filling out health declarations at airports has started in China and Malaysia, where passengers have to provide information about their health status.
The fear of the Nipah virus has increased because it is a zoonotic virus. It primarily spreads from fruit bats to humans and its mortality rate can reach 40 to 75 percent, which is much more dangerous than COVID. According to WHO, symptoms of this virus include high fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and brain swelling (encephalitis). Currently, there is no official vaccine or specific medication available for this virus, so treatment is only symptomatic. In India, the health department has also exercised caution and increased surveillance in suspected areas.
The fear of the Nipah virus has increased because it is a zoonotic virus. It primarily spreads from fruit bats to humans and its mortality rate can reach 40 to 75 percent, which is much more dangerous than COVID. According to WHO, symptoms of this virus include high fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and brain swelling (encephalitis). Currently, as there is no official vaccine or specific medicine available for this virus, treatment is only based on symptoms. The health department in India has also exercised caution and increased surveillance in suspected areas.