Ho Chi Minh City tightens airport screening over Nipah virus risk

The move follows reports of Nipah infections among healthcare workers in India’s West Bengal State, prompting local authorities to implement precautionary measures despite no cases being detected in Ho Chi Minh City or Vietnam so far.

The city’s Department of Health said it was closely monitoring passengers’ health status and travel histories, with anyone showing fever, respiratory symptoms or unusual neurological signs to be transferred immediately to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases for isolation, diagnosis, and treatment.

“Nipah has not been recorded in Ho Chi Minh City or the southern region, but the risk of importation remains due to increasing international travel,” the department said in a statement, urging the public to stay informed through official channels while avoiding unnecessary panic.

According to the World Health Organization, Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1999 during an outbreak linked to pig farming.

Subsequent outbreaks in Bangladesh and India showed the virus can spread through contaminated food and from person to person, with healthcare workers and caregivers facing higher risks.

The department said advanced studies using techniques such as metagenomics, PCR and mass spectrometry, conducted by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in collaboration with the city’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases, have found no evidence of Nipah virus in patients with encephalitis in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces.

Hospitals across the city have been instructed to strengthen infection control, ensure strict use of personal protective equipment, and pay particular attention to cases of acute encephalitis of unknown origin, including thorough checks of patients’ travel and exposure histories.

Authorities also advised travelers returning from affected areas to monitor their health for at least 14 days after arrival and seek medical care immediately if symptoms develop.

Those traveling to outbreak zones were urged to avoid contact with fruit bats, pigs, and sick animals, and to refrain from consuming potentially contaminated food or drinks.

International disease surveillance reports cited by the department showed that between December 27 and Monday, India confirmed two Nipah infections among healthcare workers in West Bengal, linked to a severe case that had died earlier without testing.

Fatality rates among hospitalized Nipah patients have ranged from 40 percent to 75 percent, and there is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for the infection.