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Phuket increases airport controls: Nipah virus from India alerted!
Health checks at Thailand's airports increased: protective measures against Nipah virus outbreak from India.
Phuket increases airport controls: Nipah virus from India alerted!
An outbreak of the Nipah virus in West Bengal has drawn attention from Thai health authorities. Phuket International Airport in particular has significantly increased health checks for passengers from India The Thaiger reported. There are no confirmed cases of Nipah in Thailand so far, and authorities are working to keep it that way.
The Department of Disease Control has introduced strict surveillance measures at all international airports. To prevent the potential spread of the virus, passengers from affected areas will be systematically screened. Screening checkpoints have been installed at major transport hubs, such as Suvarnabhumi Airport, where random checks are carried out on arrivals from high-risk cities in India.
Comprehensive security measures
The security measures also include Don Mueang Airport, where similar protocols are in place. In Chiang Mai, for example, temperature checks with thermal scanners have been introduced and passengers are given health advice cards. Even without direct flights from India, the travel history of those arriving is closely scrutinized. Airport manager Karn Thanakuljirapath announced that passengers with symptoms would be isolated and, if necessary, quarantined.
To support the measures, the Phuket Airport Authority is working closely with various health and security authorities, including immigration and customs officials and tourist police. The current controls are reminiscent of the stricter measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the international terminal, to ensure the safety of all travelers.
Fast response from the authorities
In total, Phuket currently receives 13 direct flights daily from India, including five weekly connections from Kolkata, each carrying around 165 passengers. To meet customs, targeted screening points were installed and cleaning and disinfection cycles were increased on high-traffic surfaces. Authorities are calling on the public to remain calm, follow official updates and not be guided by misinformation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes Nipah virus as a zoonotic disease transmitted from infected animals, contaminated food or close contact with infected people. What is particularly tragic is the fact that the natural hosts of the virus are primarily fruit bats of the genus Pteropus. Previous outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia often originated from consumption of fruit or juice that had come into contact with bat saliva or urine.
Collaboration between health authorities, immigration and airport staff is essential to protect the population from further spread of the Nipah virus. Thai authorities have assured that they are ready to further tighten public health measures should the situation require it.