ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has placed its borders, airports and health system on high alert after confirmation of a deadly Nipah virus outbreak in India’s West Bengal, ordering strict screening of all incoming travellers and emergency preparedness across the provinces, even as authorities say no human case has so far been detected in the country.
In separate advisories issued on Wednesday, the Border Health Services Pakistan and National Institute of Health warned that the highly fatal zoonotic virus posed a real cross-border risk because of regional travel and the presence of fruit bats in South Asia, which were known carriers of Nipah virus. The Border Health Services, working under the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, directed immediate enforcement of enhanced surveillance at all points of entry, including international airports, seaports and land border crossings, without any exception.
The directive mandates 100 per cent screening of all arriving and transit passengers, crew members, drivers and support staff, with no individual allowed entry without health clearance. All travellers are to undergo thermal screening and clinical assessment, while their travel and transit history for the preceding 21 days will be verified regardless of nationality. Special vigilance has been ordered for travellers arriving from or transiting through Nipah-affected or high-risk regions. Any false declaration or concealment of travel history is to be documented and reported for action.
Screening staff have been instructed to watch closely for early symptoms of Nipah virus infection, including fever, headache, respiratory illness and neurological signs such as confusion, drowsiness or altered consciousness. Any suspected case is to be immediately isolated at the point of entry, restricted from onward movement and managed strictly under infection prevention and control protocols before referral to a designated isolation facility or tertiary care hospital.
A separate alert issued by the Centers for Disease Control at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, confirmed that at least five Nipah cases have been reported in West Bengal, including infections among healthcare workers in Kolkata. The alert notes that Nipah virus carries a case fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 per cent and can cause severe respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
According to the NIH, Nipah virus is transmitted to humans through consumption of food contaminated by fruit bats, direct contact with infected animals such as bats or pigs, and close unprotected contact with infected individuals, particularly in healthcare settings. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain and vomiting, which can rapidly progress to encephalitis, seizures and coma within 24 to 48 hours. The incubation period is typically four to 14 days but can extend up to 45 days, increasing the risk of undetected cross-border transmission.
Health authorities acknowledged that there was currently no licensed vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Nipah virus and that management remained largely supportive, often requiring intensive care and mechanical ventilation in severe cases. The effectiveness of ribavirin remains inconclusive and it is not routinely recommended.
Although the World Health Organization considers the risk of wider international spread from the current Indian cases to be low, federal health officials said early preparedness was critical to avoid delayed detection, particularly given Pakistan’s past experience with cross-border disease transmission.
