Thailand screens 1,700 people for deadly Nipah virus as Covid-style measures introduced at airports

Thailand has announced a flurry of new measures, similar to those seen during the Covid-19 pandemic in the hope of preventing an outbreak of the Nipah virus.

After India announced there had been two cases of the disease in West Bengal since December, several countries are taking immediate precautions to stop the virus spreading.

The Nipah virus has been recognized since 1999 following an outbreak in Malysia. Most concerningly, while the disease isn’t new, there is limited treatment and no cure.

On top of this, it has a high fatality rate of 40-75 percent.

While the disease primarily spreads through bats, it can also spread through pigs and other animals such as goats, horses, dogs, or cats, according to the World Health Organization.

Thailand is just one of many Asian nations taking steps to prevent the spread of the Nipah virus ((NIH-NIAID/Image Point FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Once the disease has spread to humans, it can be transmitted person to person.

These facts likely tie into the seriousness with which Nepal, Taiwan and Thailand are responding to the virus.

Thailand has stepped up their preventative measures at major airports, according to reports, screening some 1,700 travelers.

Thankfully, no infections have been found so far.

The screenings were focused on passengers traveling from West Bengal and the nation is aware that many of these travelers enter the country through the Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket airports.

According to a Nation Thailand report, some of the measures introduced at airports include ensuring that travelers from ‘risk areas’ must complete a health declaration form and those with a fever must present a medical certificate showing they are fit to fly.

As well as this, aircraft sanitation inspections will be conducted for every flight from outbreak areas. If a suspected case is found, the aircraft must be disinfected before operating its next flight.

And dedicated parking bays have been assigned for aircraft arriving from Nipah outbreak areas. They will also have designated screening areas, isolation rooms and potentially a different baggage handling procedure.

Suvarnabhumi Airport has stepped up health checks (Facebook/Suvarnabhumi Airport)

Health officials from the country are ‘fairly confident’ the measures will sufficiently prevent an outbreak in the country.

Thailand’s public health minister Phatthana Phromphat has spoken about how the country hopes to successfully deal with the disease.

According to an Independent report, he has said: “If there’s a suspected case at an airport, the person will be quarantined and the results of a relevant test will be known in eight hours."

He has also explained that the way the Nipah virus is transmitted can put them in a better position than when they had to deal with Covid-19.

He added: “The transmission of Nipah virus is not like that of Covid. Even though they may be asymptomatic, Covid-infected people can transmit the virus.

“For Nipah, infected people will not transmit it as long as they do not have any symptoms.”