AIRPORTS across parts of Asia have stepped up health checks following a Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal, India, according to a report.
Thailand has reinstated some of the measures it used during the COVID-19 pandemic, including health surveillance and travel screenings specifically targeting passengers from West Bengal, where five cases of Nipah virus infection have been confirmed.
Similarly, Nepal and Taiwan have implemented stricter entry protocols to prevent the virus from spreading.
The Nipah virus, primarily carried by fruit bats, can be transmitted to humans and other animals.
Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, and sore throat, with severe cases potentially causing respiratory complications and encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain.
Currently, no vaccine exists to prevent the infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
PHILIPPINES READY TO MONITOR AND TEST FOR NIPAH VIRUS
Health Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo assured on Tuesday that the Philippines is prepared to test for Nipah virus and monitor possible cases. He cited previous local exposure in 2014 in Sultan Kudarat, where 17 cases were reported.
Domingo noted that symptoms often resemble the flu, though some cases involved encephalitis or meningitis, typically acquired through contact with infected animals or sick individuals.
He emphasized that Nipah is a zoonotic disease, commonly transmitted by bats, with rare cases from pigs and horses.
Seasonal outbreaks are currently affecting Bangladesh and India. In West Bengal, five confirmed cases are under treatment, with around 100 close contacts being monitored.
The Philippines remains vigilant through the WHO’s International Health Regulations network and continues to monitor through the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau.
Updated DOH guidelines on Nipah virus response were issued in 2023 under Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, emphasizing prevention measures such as avoiding contact with bats and other sick animals, consuming meat approved by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), and ensuring proper cooking.
UNDERSTANDING THE NIPAH VIRUS
The Nipah virus is highly contagious and can spread from animals to humans through contaminated food or direct contact with infected individuals. Human-to-human transmission occurs via close contact with bodily fluids.
Symptoms range from mild flu-like illness to severe respiratory distress and neurological complications such as seizures, coma, and encephalitis. The incubation period typically ranges from four to 14 days but can extend up to 45 days.
The virus has a fatality rate of 45–75%, and there is currently no approved treatment or vaccine.
However, in December 2025, a Phase 2 clinical trial for a Nipah vaccine was launched by the University of Oxford and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh.
Since its discovery in Malaysia in 1998, Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Singapore, northeast India, and Bangladesh. The virus has never been detected in Canada.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Authorities recommend avoiding contact with bats and sick animals, consuming only properly inspected and cooked meat, and seeking immediate medical attention if symptoms develop.