Singapore, Feb 20 (PTI) Singapore will progressively ease some Nipah virus related public health measures starting February 23 as no cases have been reported in the city-state after the outbreak in India and Bangladesh, the government said Friday.
The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) here in January last week said it was “closely monitoring the outbreak of Nipah virus infection (NiV) in West Bengal; started temperature screening for travellers arriving on flights from areas where Nipah virus outbreak had been reported, and upped the measures after the case in Bangladesh in February first week.
“The Nipah virus situation in West Bengal has stabilised, with no new cases reported. No human-to-human Nipah virus transmission has been detected in Bangladesh,” said the CDA, adding that it will remain vigilant against the virus even as Singapore returns to baseline surveillance levels.
Starting Monday, February 23, the agency will cease temperature screening at the airport and seaports for flights and ships arriving from affected areas in India, and stop disseminating Nipah virus health advisories for travellers at Singapore’s points of entry.
The virus will continue to be covered by the SG Arrival health declarations and Maritime Declaration of Health to maintain surveillance levels, it said.
The Ministry of Manpower will maintain the current surveillance measures at the onboard centre for newly arrived migrant workers, the CDA said, adding, it will closely monitor the global situation and stands ready to adjust public health measures.
Singapore draws a large number of migrant workers from Bangladesh and West Bengal, who work in manpower-intensive industries such as construction and marine sectors.
In a statement on February 7, the CDA noted awareness of a NiV case reported in Naogaon district, Rajshahi Division in northwest Bangladesh.
In New Delhi, citing reports received from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Union Health Ministry said on January 27 that only two confirmed cases of Nipah Virus disease were reported from West Bengal from December last year till date.
To date, no cases of NiV associated with the cases in West Bengal and Bangladesh have been reported in Singapore. Ongoing bio-surveillance programmes monitoring Singapore's bat populations since 2011 have also not detected NiV.
Since January 28, the health authority here had progressively implemented public health measures to prevent NiV infection in Singapore, the statement added.