COLOMBO, Jan 29: A senior health official in Sri Lanka confirmed on Thursday that there is no immediate threat to the country from the Nipah virus, which has been reported in parts of neighboring India.
Deputy Health Minister Hansaka Wijemuni informed journalists in Colombo that health authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have implemented precautionary measures, including maintaining adequate testing capacity.
Wijemuni noted that while the virus, which has a high fatality rate, has been detected in several Asian countries, person-to-person transmission remains rare. He highlighted that Sri Lanka has never experienced a Nipah outbreak.
The Deputy Minister reassured the public not to panic, adding that travelers with severe symptoms are unlikely to board flights and that the existing screening systems are adequate for detecting potential cases.
Health authorities will continue their efforts in surveillance and preparedness, Wijemuni stated, emphasizing that there is no cause for alarm at present.
The Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease transmitted between animals and humans and, in certain instances, through human-to-human contact. The World Health Organization has classified it as a priority pathogen due to its potential to cause epidemics and the severity of the illness it can induce. Past outbreaks of the Nipah virus have had high fatality rates, ranging from 40 percent to 75 percent.
