Pakistan declares emergency at airports, tightens border surveillance over Nipah virus threat
Pakistan
Nipah is a rare viral infection that spreads from infected animals, mainly fruit bats, to humans. It can be asymptomatic but it is often very dangerous, with a case fatality rate of 40 to 75 percent
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The federal government has declared emergency at all airports across the country and tightens border surveillance after Nipah virus cases emerged in India.
In an advisory issued by the health ministry's Border Health Services, authorities cited reports of suspected Nipah virus cases in India’s West Bengal state and warned of the virus’s potential for cross-border transmission.
"It has become imperative to strengthen preventative and surveillance measures at Pakistan's borders," the health ministry's Border Health Services department said in a statement.
"All travelers shall undergo thermal screening and clinical assessment at the Point of Entry," which includes seaports, land borders and airports, the department added.
The agency said travellers would need to provide transit history for the preceding 21-day period to check whether they had been through "Nipah-affected or high-risk regions".
HIGH FATALITY RATE
Nipah is a rare viral infection that spreads largely from infected animals, mainly fruit bats, to humans. It can be asymptomatic but it is often very dangerous, with a case fatality rate of 40 percent to 75 percent, depending on the local healthcare system's capacity for detection and management, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus was first identified just over 25 years ago during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore, although scientists believe it has circulated in flying foxes, or fruit bats, for thousands of years.
The WHO classifies Nipah as a priority pathogen. India regularly reports sporadic infections, particularly in the southern state of Kerala, regarded as one of the world's highest-risk regions for Nipah.
As of December 2025, there have been 750 confirmed Nipah infections globally, with 415 deaths, according to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which is funding a vaccine trial to help stop Nipah.
