Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan have reinstated sanitary controls for passengers arriving from India after the detection of Nipah virus infections, The Independent reported Monday.
The Nipah virus (NiV), transmitted by large fruit bats known as flying foxes, can cause severe brain inflammation and respiratory illness. Though not currently considered highly contagious, it has a fatality rate estimated between 40% and 75%, according to health experts.
The virus typically spreads through close contact with infected animals, contaminated food—particularly raw fruit or palm sap—or human-to-human transmission during caregiving. It is not believed to be airborne.
The World Health Organization has listed Nipah as a priority disease due to its potential to cause future epidemics.
India’s Ministry of Health has urged the public to observe strict hygiene measures, including washing fruit thoroughly, boiling or chemically treating water, and keeping livestock feed and water sources protected from bats. “Avoid unwashed or half-eaten fruit and any contact with bats or visibly sick animals,” officials advised on social media.
First identified during a 1999 outbreak in Malaysia among pig farmers, the virus has since caused recurring outbreaks in Bangladesh and eastern India. While earlier infections were linked to pig contact, experts believe contaminated fruit and raw palm sap were the likely sources in recent South Asian cases.
So far, only a few human infections have been confirmed in the current outbreak. Still, health authorities remain on alert. The virus incubates over 5 to 14 days and can present flu-like symptoms, including fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and neurological complications.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for Nipah. Care is limited to managing symptoms.
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Source: IAR, PAP