Nipah Virus
Nipah Virus Source link
All posts tagged: nipah
Singapore to ease Nipah virus measures, stop airport temperature screening as India outbreak stabilises
SINGAPORE: Singapore will cease Nipah virus temperature screenings at the airport and seaports from Monday (Feb 23), progressively easing some measures as the outbreak in India stabilises. No cases of the Nipah virus have been reported in Singapore in connection with the outbreak in West Bengal or the case in Bangladesh, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Friday. “The Nipah virus situation in West Bengal has stabilised, with no new cases reported. No human-to-human Nipah virus transmission has been detected in Bangladesh,” CDA said, adding that it will remain vigilant against the virus even as Singapore returns to baseline surveillance levels. Authorities will also stop disseminating Nipah virus health advisories for travellers at Singapore’s points of entry. Measures are being eased less than a month after heightened measures were announced, including temperature screening for travellers arriving on flights from areas where Nipah virus outbreaks have been reported. To maintain surveillance levels, however, the virus will continue to be covered by the SG Arrival health declarations and the Maritime Declaration of Health. The Ministry of …
What to Know About Nipah Virus After New Cases in India
SUNDAY, Feb. 8, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Reports of new Nipah virus cases in India have raised worries about yet another deadly outbreak. Nipah is a rare virus that can cause severe brain swelling and breathing problems, and there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Health officials say the latest cases appear to be contained. Still, several Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, have enhanced airport screenings as a safety step. Hong Kong has done so, as well. The virus is carried by fruit bats, which don’t get sick but can spread Nipah through contaminated food or close contact. People can also pass the virus to each other, usually while caring for someone who is very sick. To better understand what’s happening, experts from Tufts University in Boston shared what they know so far. Nipah is considered a priority pathogen, because it is highly deadly and hard to control. Historically, the virus has been fatal to 70% of diagnosed patients. Some people may have mild symptoms or none at all, …
Deadly Nipah virus outbreak sparks COVID-era airport health screenings | World | News
Health officials and airports across Asia have reintroduced COVID-era restrictions in response to a fresh outbreak of a deadly virus. Among these is India’s West Bengal region, which has reported five cases of the Nipah Virus, a disease transmitted by bats and pigs that can also infect humans. Approximately a hundred individuals are currently in quarantine in West Bengal, following confirmation of the virus in a doctor, a nurse, and another hospital staff member. These cases were detected after the initial two instances involving a male and female nurse from the same district. Narayan Swaroop Nigam, the principal secretary of the Department of Health and Family, revealed that one of the nurses is now in a coma after experiencing high fevers and respiratory issues between New Year’s Eve and January 2. It is believed that this nurse contracted the infection while treating a patient with severe respiratory problems, who subsequently died before it could be confirmed if they had the Nipah virus. Currently, there is no known medication or vaccine for the virus. Symptoms range …
Nipah is a warning the world keeps postponing
In the field of infectious disease epidemiology, the most dangerous pathogens are not always those that dominate newspaper headlines. Often, they are those that remain on the margins of attention, reappearing periodically without ever attracting sustained political or scientific investment. The Nipah virus is a prime example of this overlooked threat. The recent cases reported in India should not be interpreted as an isolated episode, nor as an unexpected development. Nipah has been causing recurrent epidemics for over twenty years, with a well-documented capacity for zoonotic spillover and human-to-human transmission. Its epidemiological profile is already deeply concerning: high mortality rates, frequent involvement of healthcare workers, and a lack of approved vaccines or targeted antiviral therapies. From a scientific point of view, Nipah is not an unknown enemy. Its reservoirs are identified, its transmission routes widely understood, and its clinical progression well described. What remains insufficient is the translation of this knowledge into lasting preparedness. Surveillance systems continue to be activated only once cases are detected. Research funding remains sporadic. The development of countermeasures proceeds slowly, …
Asian countries tighten borders over Nipah outbreak in India
Sri Lankan health officials said they were monitoring the regional situation carefully following the detection of the Nipah cases in India. In Britain, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is responsible for managing infectious disease risks at ports of entry into the country and is understood to be monitoring the outbreak. Like Thailand, the UK is a top destination for travellers from India, with the Delhi to Heathrow route alone accounting for approximately 164,000 seats per month, according to data from the Official Airline Guide. While the UK has not suffered an outbreak of Nipah before, it could theoretically be brought in and then spread from person to person. Health officials in India are continuing to investigate the outbreak, which is centred on the private Narayana Multispeciality Hospital in Barasat, West Bengal, 16 miles from the capital city Kolkata. Both nurses caught the virus while treating a patient with severe respiratory symptoms who later died before testing could be carried out, said a senior health official involved in West Bengal’s Nipah surveillance efforts. “That patient …
What to know about the deadly nipah virus outbreak in India
Airports in Southeast Asia are on alert this week after the confirmation of an outbreak of Nipah virus, which has no cure, in West Bengal, India. Thailand implemented health screening checkpoints for passengers from West Bengal on Sunday and Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control announced plans to list the disease as a Category 5 threat, local media reported. Source link
Health experts scramble to contain outbreak of deadly Nipah virus
India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a nationwide alert, urging states to strengthen surveillance, detection, and preventive measures to reduce risk and prevent any further spread. India has faced sporadic outbreaks of Nipah in recent years. The virus lives in bats and can be passed to humans through contaminated food or by contact with the bodily fluids of infected animals. It can also jump from bats to pigs, opening up another route for onward transmission to people, where it spreads from person to person through droplets and saliva. The virus has a fatality rate of up to 75 per cent and causes a range of symptoms, beginning with a fever, vomiting and fatigue before developing into respiratory issues and swelling of the brain. Neurological issues like encephalitis can appear months or years after an initial infection In response to the new cases, several Indian states have directed their health authorities to strengthen surveillance for Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), a broad term for brain inflammation that can be caused by Nipah infection. “Persons admitted …