India Says Monitoring Nipah Virus Situation After Containing Outbreak

By Shakir Husain

NEW DELHI, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- India said it is monitoring the Nipah virus situation after containing the outbreak following reports that Thailand and Indonesia have started screening flights from India.

"The situation is under constant monitoring, and all necessary public health measures are in place," the Health Ministry said.

Assuaging concerns over the outbreak, the government said "speculative and incorrect figures" of Nipah infections have been reported in a section of the media.

"In this context, it is clarified that as per reports received from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), only two confirmed cases of Nipah Virus Disease have been reported from West Bengal from December last year to date," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said the Indian government, in coordination with the state of West Bengal, "initiated prompt and comprehensive public health measures in accordance with established protocols" after the two cases were confirmed.

A total of 196 contacts linked to the confirmed cases were identified, and all traced contacts were found asymptomatic and tested negative for the disease, according to the ministry.

"Enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing, and field investigations were undertaken through coordinated efforts of Central and State health agencies, which ensured timely containment of the cases," it said.

Several Asian countries, including Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, remained on alert over the Nipah cases in India.

Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness transmitted to humans from animals, and it can also spread among people via contaminated food or directly through human-to-human contact, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The virus causes a range of illnesses, including asymptomatic infection, acute respiratory illness, and encephalitis.

Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to humans from animals, and it can spread among people via contaminated food or directly from human-to-human contact, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The virus causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness and encephalitis, a serious brain infection that can cause fever, headache, and confusion.

-- BERNAMA