ISLAMABAD: Border Health Services-Pakistan (BHS-P) has ordered screening of all passengers at Pakistan’s entry points to prevent the cross-border spread of the Nipah virus Outbreak in India.
The directive follows a Nipah virus outbreak in India’s West Bengal state. The outbreak has raised concern across Asia, prompting countries such as Thailand and Indonesia to begin passenger screening.
India has confirmed two Nipah cases in West Bengal since December. Reports say both cases involved healthcare workers.
Nipah is a zoonotic virus first identified during an outbreak in Malaysia in the 1990s. It spreads through fruit bats, pigs and human-to-human contact. There is no vaccine. The virus can cause high fever, vomiting, convulsions and neurological complications. Treatment is limited to supportive care.
BHS-P, a department under the Ministry of National Health Services, said the situation in India made it necessary to strengthen border surveillance and preventive measures.
“All in-charges at points of entry shall ensure 100 percent screening of all arriving passengers, transit passengers, crew members, drivers, helpers and support staff,” the advisory said.
“No individual shall be allowed entry into Pakistan without health clearance by Border Health Services–Pakistan,” it added.
The order applies to all entry points, including international airports, seaports and land border crossings.
BHS-P said authorities will verify every traveler’s country of origin and complete travel and transit history for the previous 21 days, regardless of nationality or travel status.
Screening staff have been directed to watch for early symptoms of Nipah, including fever, headache, respiratory issues and neurological signs such as confusion, drowsiness or altered consciousness.
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The advisory said suspected cases will be isolated immediately at entry points. Authorities will restrict their movement and manage them under strict infection prevention and control protocols.
Suspected patients will be referred without delay to designated isolation facilities or tertiary care hospitals in coordination with provincial and district health authorities.
