Singapore has stepped up health screening measures at Changi Airport following reports of a Nipah virus outbreak in the Indian state of West Bengal, the authorities said.
Under the enhanced measures, travelers arriving from affected areas are being subjected to temperature checks, while preventive health advisories have been strengthened at entry points across the airport.
The Communicable Diseases Agency said in an official statement that health information materials are being distributed to all incoming passengers at Singapore’s border checkpoints. The guidance urges travelers to seek medical attention if they feel unwell after travel and provides preventive advice for those heading overseas.
The agency added that the Ministry of Manpower will also intensify health monitoring of newly arrived migrant workers from South Asia.
Nipah virus is primarily transmitted through exposure to bats or through the consumption of palm sap or fruit contaminated by bats. Health officials stressed that ongoing wildlife surveillance programs monitoring bat populations in Singapore since 2011 have not detected the virus within the country.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans and is considered one of the most dangerous emerging viruses due to its high fatality rate and the absence of an approved treatment or vaccine.
The virus was first identified in 1998 during an outbreak in Malaysia, where it spread from pigs to humans, before later being reported in other Asian countries, notably Bangladesh and India.
Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are considered the natural reservoir of the virus. They are widespread across South and Southeast Asia and can carry the virus without showing symptoms.
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