Pakistan has ordered enhanced screening for travelers entering the country to detect infections of the deadly Nipah virus, following the confirmation of two cases in India’s West Bengal state. The move makes Pakistan the latest Asian nation to implement health controls against the virus.
Authorities said all travelers would undergo thermal screening and clinical assessments at airports, seaports, and land border crossings. They must also provide a 21-day transit history to identify potential exposure in Nipah-affected regions.
While travel between Pakistan and India remains extremely limited due to ongoing political tensions, Pakistani officials stressed the importance of preventive measures to safeguard public health. “It has become imperative to strengthen preventative and surveillance measures at Pakistan’s borders,” the Border Health Services department said in a statement.
Other countries across Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, have also tightened border screening. In Vietnam, authorities at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi are particularly monitoring passengers from India and West Bengal, using body temperature scanners to facilitate timely isolation and epidemiological tracking.
India’s health authorities have sought to reassure the public, noting that all 196 contacts linked to the two infected health workers have tested negative, and there is no evidence of an outbreak. The male patient is recovering, while the female patient remains in critical condition. Indian officials said airport screening was unnecessary.
Nipah virus, first identified 25 years ago in Malaysia and Singapore, is primarily transmitted from fruit bats to humans. While person-to-person transmission is uncommon, the virus carries a high fatality rate of 40% to 75%, depending on local healthcare capacities. The World Health Organization classifies Nipah as a priority pathogen, and ongoing vaccine trials are being supported by global initiatives such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
