Thailand and Nepal Implement Airport Screening After West Bengal Nipah Outbreak
Updated (3 articles)
Outbreak Confirms Five Cases Linked to Barasat Hospital Five individuals tested positive for Nipah virus in West Bengal, all traced to a private hospital in Barasat [1][2]. Three of the infected are healthcare workers who treated other patients at the facility, and the patients have been moved to a specialized infectious‑diseases center east of Kolkata for isolation and supportive care [2]. State health officials have placed roughly 100–110 identified contacts under quarantine to curb further spread [1][2].
Nipah Virus Shows High Mortality and No Approved Treatment The henipavirus carries a case‑fatality rate estimated between 40 % and 75 % and lacks any licensed vaccine or specific antiviral therapy [1][2]. Its incubation period ranges from four to fourteen days, with early symptoms such as fever, cough, and headache potentially progressing to encephalitis, seizures, and coma within 24–48 hours [1][2]. The World Health Organization lists Nipah among its ten priority pathogens due to its epidemic potential [1].
Neighboring Countries Activate Screening and Reporting Measures Thailand has begun health‑declaration screening at Bangkok and Phuket airports for passengers arriving from West Bengal, while Nepal instituted similar checks at Kathmandu airport and land border crossings with India [1]. Taiwan moved to classify Nipah as a Category 5 disease, mandating immediate reporting and special control measures [1]. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises travelers to avoid contact with fruit bats, sick pigs, and bat‑contaminated food, and to practice strict hand hygiene when visiting affected areas [2].
Minor Discrepancies Appear in Quarantine Figures and Patient Status BBC reports 110 contacts placed under quarantine and notes one patient remains in critical condition [1], whereas Newsweek cites “about 100” quarantined individuals and emphasizes three medical professionals among the infected [2]. Both sources agree on five confirmed cases but differ slightly on the exact number of contacts and the breakdown of patient conditions.
Sources (2 articles)
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[1]
BBC: Thailand and Nepal tighten airport screening after West Bengal Nipah outbreak: Details the West Bengal cluster, the high fatality rate, and the new screening measures adopted by Thailand and Nepal, plus Taiwan’s Category 5 classification .
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[2]
Newsweek: Nipah Virus Outbreak Hits West Bengal, India: Focuses on the Barasat hospital origin, patient transfers to Kolkata, CDC travel guidance, and provides slightly lower quarantine figures .
Timeline
Jan 5, 2026 – Health officials screen 9,416 residents in Bhagirathpura, detecting 20 new diarrhoea cases and bringing the total hospitalised count to 142, including 11 in ICUs; overall 398 patients have been admitted and 256 discharged, while six deaths are recorded. A team from the National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections (NIRBI), backed by ICMR, arrives to investigate the outbreak, which officials attribute to sewage overflow contaminating the city’s Narmada‑sourced water supply. Congress‑led protests demand the resignation of the state health minister, a judicial inquiry, and a culpable homicide case against the mayor, while a Dewas sub‑divisional magistrate is suspended for procedural negligence. [3]
Jan 26, 2026 – West Bengal health authorities confirm five Nipah infections and place roughly 100 contacts under quarantine; the cluster is traced to a private hospital in Barasat, where three of the cases are medical staff treating other patients. All diagnosed patients are transferred to a specialized infectious‑diseases centre east of Kolkata for isolation and supportive care. [2]
Jan 27, 2026 – Thailand initiates health‑declaration screening at Bangkok and Phuket international airports for passengers arriving from West Bengal, while Nepal implements identical checks at Kathmandu airport and its land border crossings with India. [1]
Jan 27, 2026 – Five healthcare workers at the Barasat hospital test positive for Nipah; one patient is described as “very critical,” and about 110 identified contacts are placed under quarantine as authorities monitor the 4‑ to 14‑day incubation window. [1]
Jan 27, 2026 – The World Health Organization lists Nipah virus among its ten priority pathogens, emphasizing its 40 %–75 % case‑fatality rate and potential to trigger a widespread epidemic. [1]
Jan 27, 2026 – Taiwan’s health authorities move to classify Nipah as a “Category 5 disease,” a tier reserved for emerging infections that demand immediate reporting and special control measures. [1]
Jan 27, 2026 – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises travelers to avoid exposure to fruit bats, sick pigs, and bat‑contaminated food or objects, and to practice strict hand hygiene when visiting regions affected by Nipah. [2]