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News Topical, Digital Desk : Authorities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia have stepped up airport screening after two cases of the deadly Nipah virus were reported in India in late December, implementing temperature checks and other screening measures.
The two people found infected in Bengal are healthcare workers. The Indian Health Ministry said late Tuesday that authorities have identified and traced 196 contacts linked to the two cases, none of whom have shown symptoms and all have tested negative for the virus.
The World Health Organization has classified Nipah as a priority pathogen because of its potential to cause rapid outbreaks. Its mortality rate ranges from 40 to 75 percent. There is no approved vaccine or treatment.
This virus, carried by bats and pigs, can cause a fatal fever and brain inflammation in humans and can also spread directly from person to person through close contact. Several vaccines are in development but are still in testing.
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