Yangon, February 2 (IANS). Myanmar has tightened health checks and surveillance at Yangon International Airport to prevent the possible entry of Nipah virus. Government newspaper The Global New Light of Myanmar gave this information on Monday.
According to reports, in view of the current outbreak of Nipah virus in West Bengal, India, special attention is being given to travelers coming from India. Quoting the Health Ministry, it was told that special focus is being given to fever and other symptoms related to Nipah in the examination of passengers.
The Health Ministry said that travelers coming from abroad are being tested under the prescribed guidelines that apply for infectious diseases that may pose a public health emergency.
As part of health awareness, pamphlets giving information to passengers are being distributed and posters have been put up at the airport. Additionally, disease prevention and control measures are also being implemented in coordination with relevant departments operating at the airport.
The ministry said that similar strict monitoring and testing system has also been implemented at Mandalay International Airport.
At present, no suspected case of Nipah virus has been confirmed in Myanmar.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease, which can spread from animals to humans and in some cases from human to human. Considering its potential and seriousness to spread epidemics, the World Health Organization (WHO) has placed it in the category of priority pathogens.
Nipah virus was first identified in 1998 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia. An outbreak was also reported in Singapore in 1999 after the importation of sick pigs from Malaysia. Since then, no new cases have been reported in Malaysia and Singapore. In 2001, outbreaks of Nipah virus infection occurred in India and Bangladesh. Bangladesh has reported cases almost every year since then, while India has also seen outbreaks from time to time in different parts of the country, including the latest case in 2026.
Nipah virus can also spread between humans. The infection has been confirmed to spread through close contact in health care settings and among family members and caregivers of sick people. Overcrowding in hospitals, poor ventilation and inadequate adherence to infection prevention measures increase the risk of its spread.
There is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment available for Nipah virus infection.
–IANS
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