Pandemic-era restrictions are back as deadly virus outbreak takes hold of major country

Asian countries have launched health screening measures at airports in response to the Nipah virus outbreak in India, with Thailand warning visitors not to consume wild food as monitoring intensifies

Aditi Rane and Dan Grennan Audience Writer

07:34, 27 Jan 2026Updated 07:37, 27 Jan 2026

Five cases of Nipah virus were confirmed in India(Image: Getty)

Airports throughout various Asian regions have intensified health monitoring and travel checks reminiscent of protocols implemented during the Covid-19 outbreak. The heavy-duty curbs were introduced after a fresh surge of the deadly Nipah virus emerged in eastern India.

Five Nipah virus cases have been confirmed in India's West Bengal, where approximately 100 individuals have been placed in quarantine after the pathogen was identified at a medical facility. Medical authorities reported that a physician, a nurse and another healthcare worker returned positive results following two initial instances involving male and female nursing staff sparking concerns about potential human-to-human spread within a hospital environment.

Nations including Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan are amongst those that have ramped up surveillance of passengers arriving from India. Nipah represents a zoonotic pathogen capable of transmitting from infected creatures like bats and swine to humans, and occasionally via intimate contact between individuals.

['Nipah virus area' sign]

Health chiefs are concerned(Image: Getty)

The World Health Organisation categorises it as a priority pathogen due to its capacity to trigger an epidemic.

In Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health has implemented strengthened health checks at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and Phuket airports, especially for travellers coming from West Bengal. Passengers are undergoing screening for fever and other signs associated with Nipah infection, while health "beware" cards are being distributed with instructions on what to do if symptoms emerge following arrival, reports the Express.

Enhanced cleaning and disease-prevention protocols have been implemented at Phuket International Airport, which operates a daily direct service from Kolkata.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed no Nipah cases have been identified within the country but emphasised that monitoring would continue at elevated levels.

Officials have cautioned that any travellers exhibiting worrying symptoms will be transported to isolation facilities.

Extra surveillance has been mandated in caves and natural tourist destinations, with authorities advising visitors against hunting, foraging or eating wild food.

Nepal has elevated alert status and reinforced checks at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, alongside major overland border points with India.

Health stations have been set up to spot suspected cases, whilst hospitals and border health facilities have been directed to flag symptoms without delay. Authorities recognised the difficulties presented by porous borders and regular movement from adjacent Indian states.

[Covid-era restrictions are being implemented]

Covid-era restrictions are being implemented(Image: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Taiwan is preparing to designate Nipah virus infection as a Category 5 notifiable disease, the most serious classification for emerging infections under domestic legislation. The proposal, set to undergo a 60-day public consultation, would necessitate immediate reporting and stringent control measures upon detection of cases.

Taiwan is also upholding a Level 2 travel alert for certain regions of India.

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Nipah virus can trigger symptoms varying from fever and headaches to severe respiratory illness and brain inflammation. Mortality rates in previous outbreaks have fluctuated between 40 to 75%, sparking worry among health authorities as surveillance persists across the region.

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