The Minister of Public Health revealed that the Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Transport to intensify Nipah virus screening at airports, confirming that no cases have been found in Thailand.

The Minister of Public Health revealed that the Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Transport to intensify Nipah virus screening at airports, confirming that no cases have been found in Thailand.

Today (Jan 27) at Government House, Mr. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, gave an interview regarding the Nipah virus surveillance situation in Thailand. He stated that the Prime Minister emphasized the need for rigorous Nipah virus testing. The Ministry of Public Health has deployed testing teams at airports since January 24th. The Department of Disease Control, in cooperation with airports, is screening passengers arriving from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. To date, approximately 1,700 people have been tested, with no infections found. The Ministry of Public Health sees about 700 travelers arriving daily through three airports: Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and Phuket.

Mr. Pattana added that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakarn has also instructed coordination with airports to intensify screening efforts. The Department of Medical Sciences confirmed that if a suspected case is found, the individual can be quarantined and tested within 8 hours. However, the Nipah virus spreads differently from COVID-19 because it cannot be transmitted if there are no symptoms. For example, if one person on an airline is infected, those who were on the same plane and sat with them will have a low risk of infection because the Nipah virus cannot spread during the incubation period. Therefore, I can confirm that the Ministry of Public Health has been responding to this situation since the end of last week and will continue to monitor the situation.

Mr. Phatthana further stated that there are currently no confirmed cases of Nipah virus in Thailand, and historically, there have never been any cases of Nipah virus infection. At the same time, this virus is not new; it was discovered in 1998, but there were small outbreaks within India. However, we will not be complacent.

Regarding concerns about the large number of fruit bats in Chonburi province, Mr. Phatthana stated that fruit bats are considered carriers, but he confirmed that no cases of Nipah virus infection have been found in Thailand. When asked how long the monitoring and surveillance of infected individuals will take, Mr. Phatthana said that the Ministry of Public Health has not yet assessed the required duration. However, at least this week, the Director-General of the Department of Disease Control will report the test results to the Ministry of Public Health, along with reviewing the situation in India, the area of the outbreak. Regarding whether the virus is likely to mutate, Mr. Phatthana stated that they haven't reached that stage yet. He urged the public to monitor their symptoms, especially those in high-risk groups who have traveled to West Bengal. If they experience flu-like symptoms, they should report it to the Ministry of Public Health. However, those in high-risk groups should simply monitor their symptoms.

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