China starts screening of travelers at airports over fears of Nipah virus
Beijing, Jan 29: China has started screening of travellers arriving on flights from areas where the Nipah virus outbreak has been reported, including India.
Swab tests were being conducted on passengers, said some of the Indian travellers arriving in Beijing.
The Chinese National Disease Control and Prevention Administration on Tuesday said no cases of Nipah virus have been detected in China, noting that the current Nipah outbreak in India is mainly occurring in West Bengal, which does not share a land border with China.
“Based on a comprehensive assessment, the impact of this Nipah virus outbreak in India on China is relatively small,” the administration said, while adding that there is still a certain risk of importation from abroad, and prevention measures need to be strengthened, state-run Global Times reported.
Nevertheless, Chinese health authorities have begun risk assessments, strengthened monitoring mechanisms, and enhanced testing capabilities and personnel training, the administration said.
It said the Nipah virus is primarily transmitted through direct contact with infected animals, patients, or contaminated objects.
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The virus has weak environmental survivability, so the general public has a relatively low risk of infection through contact.
Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, who has previously conducted research on the Nipah virus, noted that the virus has a strong capacity for recurrent outbreaks and has a high fatality rate.
The virus primarily targets the respiratory system and central nervous system, leading to acute fever, headache, and varying degrees of altered consciousness, with disease symptoms and signs typically appearing 3 to 14 days after exposure, he told Global Times.–(PTI)
