Dangerous virus outbreak spreads across Asia. Airports strengthen control

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Thailand has started checking passengers at three airports that receive flights from West Bengal. In Nepal, control is carried out not only at Kathmandu International Airport but also at land border crossings with India.

Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan also reported strengthening medical surveillance at border crossing points.

In early January, five healthcare workers in West Bengal were infected with the Nipah virus; the condition of one of them is critical. About 110 people who had contact with them were quarantined.

The Nipah virus can be transmitted from animals to humans. Due to the lack of a vaccine or effective treatment, the mortality rate from this disease remains extremely high — from 40% to 75%.

Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan strengthen control

On Tuesday, the 24.kg news agency, citing the Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan, reported that no cases of the disease had been recorded in the country.

"There is no reason to panic. The healthcare system is ready to respond quickly to any potential epidemiological threats," the ministry stated. They also confirmed that "to prevent the import of infection," sanitary control at the border has been strengthened.

Uzbekistan also reported no cases of the disease, where border control has also been strengthened. The country's authorities assure: "The probability of this disease entering our country is very low."

Earlier, the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan reported that sanitary and quarantine control at the border had been strengthened, "with special attention to citizens arriving from India and other countries of Southeast Asia."

What is the Nipah virus and what are its symptoms

Nipah virus is a dangerous pathogen that can be transmitted to humans from animals, particularly pigs and bats, as well as from human to human through contaminated food.

Due to the high epidemiological threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) has included Nipah among the top ten most dangerous diseases in the world, along with Covid-19 and Zika virus.

The incubation period for Nipah virus is 4 to 14 days. Symptoms can manifest differently, and in some cases, the disease runs without symptoms.

The first signs are usually similar to a common cold: fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, sore throat. Some patients experience drowsiness, problems with consciousness, and pneumonia.

In severe cases, encephalitis can develop — a life-threatening inflammation of the brain.

To date, there are no approved drugs or vaccines for treating Nipah virus.

Where Nipah virus outbreaks have occurred previously

The first documented outbreak of Nipah virus occurred in 1998 at pig farms in Malaysia in the village of Nipah and quickly spread to neighboring Singapore. The virus was named after the village where it was first discovered.

This first epidemic claimed the lives of over 100 people and led to the culling of about a million pigs, causing significant economic losses to farmers.

In the 21st century, Bangladesh has been most affected by Nipah: since 2001, more than 100 people have died there.

In India, outbreaks were recorded in the state of West Bengal in 2001 and 2007.

In recent years, the state of Kerala has become a new hotbed for the disease's spread. In 2018, 19 cases were recorded there, 17 of which were fatal, and in 2023, two of the six confirmed patients died.

What is happening now

According to data from last week, at least five confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection have been recorded in West Bengal.

All of them are linked to a private hospital in Barasat city. Two nurses are in intensive care, and one of them remains in "very critical" condition, local media report, citing the state's Ministry of Health.

On Sunday, Thailand began checking passengers at three international airports — in Bangkok and Phuket, which receive flights from West Bengal. Passengers are asked to fill out health questionnaires. In addition, Thailand's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has strengthened control in popular tourist areas.

Juray Wongswasdi, a representative of the Department of Disease Control, told the BBC that authorities are "generally confident that they can contain the outbreak of the disease."

Meanwhile, Taiwan's health authorities have proposed including the Nipah virus in the list of "Category 5 diseases."

Under the current system, this category includes new or rare infections that pose a serious threat to public health and require special control measures.

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