Singapore: Singapore will step up health screening at Changi Airport after a Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal, India, including temperature checks for flights from affected areas, authorities have said.
Health advisories will be issued to travelers at Singapore’s points of entry, advising inbound travelers to seek medical attention if they feel unwell after travel, and providing outbound travelers guidance on health precautions, the Communicable Diseases Agency said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Manpower is also stepping up surveillance of newly arrived migrant workers from South Asia, it added.
Nipah virus transmission is currently believed to occur mainly through exposure to bats or the consumption of date palm sap or fruits contaminated by bats. The agency noted that ongoing bio-surveillance programs monitoring Singapore’s bat populations since 2011 have not detected the presence of the virus, Xinhua news agency reported.
Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people. In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.
Nipah virus was first recognised in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in, Malaysia. No new outbreaks have been reported in Malaysia since 1999.
It was also recognised in Bangladesh in 2001, and nearly annual outbreaks have occurred in that country since. The disease has also been identified periodically in eastern India.
Infected people initially develop symptoms including fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. Some people can also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress. Encephalitis and seizures occur in severe cases, progressing to coma within 24 to 48 hours.
(IANS)
