Singapore: Singapore will conduct temperature screening for travellers arriving on flights from areas where Nipah virus outbreaks have been reported, the Communicable Diseases Agency said on Wednesday. The Ministry of Manpower will also enhance surveillance of newly arrived migrant workers from South Asia and collaborate with primary care providers to increase vigilance.
According to Emirates News Agency, these measures are part of Singapore's initial response to the Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal, where two cases have been reported. Singapore is closely monitoring the outbreak, which is the seventh recorded in India since 2001.
The Nipah virus is primarily transmitted through exposure to bats and the consumption of date palm sap or fruit contaminated by bats. The agency noted that ongoing bio-surveillance programmes monitoring Singapore's bat populations since 2011 have not detected the virus in the country.