Yangon, Feb 2
Myanmar has intensified health screening and surveillance at Yangon International Airport to prevent the possible entry of the Nipah virus, the state-owned daily The Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Monday.
In view of the ongoing outbreak of the Nipah virus in India's West Bengal state, special attention is being given to travelers arriving from India, with health checks focusing on fever and other Nipah-related symptoms, the report said, citing the Ministry of Health.
The ministry said health screening of passengers arriving from abroad is being conducted in line with established guidelines for infectious diseases that could give rise to public health emergencies, Xinhua news agency reported.
As part of the health awareness efforts, informational leaflets are being distributed to travelers and posters displayed at the airport. Disease prevention and control measures are also being carried out in coordination with relevant departments operating at the airport, it said.
Similar enhanced surveillance and screening measures are also being implemented at Mandalay International Airport, the ministry said.
So far, no suspected Nipah cases have been reported in Myanmar, the ministry said.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease transmitted between animals and humans and, in some instances, through human-to-human contact. It is classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization due to its epidemic potential and the severity of illness it can cause.
Nipah virus was first identified in 1998 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia. In 1999, an outbreak was reported in Singapore following the importation of sick pigs from Malaysia. No new outbreaks have been reported from Malaysia or Singapore since 1999. In 2001, Nipah virus infection outbreaks were detected in India and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, outbreaks have been reported almost every year since. In India, outbreaks are periodically reported in several parts of the country, including the latest one in 2026.
Nipah virus can also spread between people. It has been reported in health-care settings and among family and caregivers of sick people through close contact. In health facilities, the risk of spread can increase in overcrowded, poorly ventilated hospital environments with inadequate implementation of infection prevention and control measures (such as the use of personal protective equipment, cleaning and disinfection, and hand hygiene).
Currently, there is no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for Nipah virus infection.
- IANS
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