THE Ministry of Health has announced that it will issue health advisories regarding the Nipah virus for Myanmar tourists visiting India and Indian tourists visiting Myanmar.
The Ministry of Health is also working to ensure that citizens do not travel unnecessarily to areas where the Nipah virus is currently spreading, advising Myanmar citizens currently in affected areas to avoid hospitals or places with large numbers of sick people and instructing those who have travelled to such areas to immediately report any suspected symptoms, such as severe fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing, confusion, or drowsiness, upon returning to the country to the airport health department or to health workers at border entry and exit points.
In addition, the ministry plans to advise individuals who experience any suspicious symptoms within 14 days of returning from an affected area to immediately contact the nearest health center, inform the doctor of their travel history, and receive the necessary tests and treatment promptly, and to urge the public to promptly notify the nearest health center if family members returning from affected countries show suspicious symptoms or if unusual deaths of animals such as pigs or bats are observed in their living environment.
To date, no cases of the Nipah virus have been detected in Myanmar, and special emphasis is being placed on Nipah virus surveillance, as the region is home to a large population of the primary host bat species, fruit bats, and borders countries in the region where infections are common.
The Ministry of Health is continuously monitoring the situation of Nipah virus disease and other infectious diseases in neighbouring countries and across the region, in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005) on the exchange of information on infectious diseases among World Health Organization Member States.
Special attention is reportedly paid to intensified surveillance activities to prevent the disease from entering the country through returnees from India, especially from West Bengal, which is currently the epicentre of the outbreak. — ASH/TH
