A number of Asian countries, including Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan, have urgently reinstated medical screening measures for air passengers, similar to those implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. The reason for this is an outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus in the state of West Bengal (India), where the disease was detected in the staff of one of the hospitals, forcing more than a hundred people into quarantine. This is reported by Independent, writes UNN.
Details
The Nipah virus is transmitted to humans from infected bats and pigs, as well as through close contact between people, causing severe complications. Due to confirmed cases of the disease among medical workers in Kolkata, Thailand's airports – Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket – have begun thorough monitoring of passengers for fever. Travelers from the risk zone are given special cards with instructions, and individuals with symptoms are immediately transferred to quarantine centers.
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The Department of Disease Control and Prevention of Thailand will start checking travelers from West Bengal (India) at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports from January 25 due to the Nipah virus outbreak. Health officials are implementing strict measures, as passengers are showing excellent cooperation at checkpoints.
Despite the fact that no cases have yet been recorded in the kingdom itself, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul emphasized the need to maintain the highest level of surveillance.
Sanitary safety and international air travel
Special attention is paid to flights of the Indian airline Indigo, which operates direct connections between Kolkata and Phuket. At airports, not only are people's health checked, but disinfection and cleaning schedules have also been intensified. Experts note that the experience of the coronavirus pandemic has allowed countries in the region to quickly deploy the necessary infrastructure to contain the new threat.
Health officials in Nepal and Taiwan have also confirmed their readiness to introduce similar restrictions for all arrivals from the affected region. Currently, the main goal of medical services is to prevent the virus from spreading beyond the Indian state, as Nipah has a significantly higher mortality rate compared to most known viral infections.