No need to panic after Nipah virus outbreak in India: South Africa

Johannesburg (PTI): South Africa has called the public to not panic in view of the two cases of the deadly Nipah virus reported from India, adding that there is “no immediate” risk to the country.

The Department of Health said that it was working closely with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which is monitoring the situation as the outbreak evolves.

There is “no immediate risk to South Africa and there is no need for the public to panic,” the Department of Health said in a statement on Friday.

In New Delhi, citing reports received from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday, only two confirmed cases of Nipah Virus disease have been reported from West Bengal from December last year till date.

In West Bengal's Kolkata, a senior official of the state health department said on Friday that the health condition of the two nurses infected with Nipah virus in the state has improved, and both have tested negative for the contagion.

The Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus, usually transmitted from animals such as bats to humans, but which can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.

“The scientists have advised that at this stage there is a very low risk outside the affected countries, and there is no need for screening at ports of entry,” said national spokesperson for the Department, Foster Mohale.

“Laboratory testing is available at the NICD, and key resources have been updated to include current outbreak specifics,” he added.

The NICD will also work with the South African Civil Aviation Authority to offer training to the staff operating in the country and at airports to assist in communicating the message through airlines and airport staff, the spokesperson said.

Nipah virus is found in animals but can also affect humans, the WHO said in a fact sheet issued on Thursday.

"There is currently no treatment or vaccine available for the Nipah virus; several candidate products are under development. Early intensive supportive care can improve survival,” the WHO said.