Fatality Rate Up to 75%: Nipah Virus Fears... Travelers to India and Southeast Asia Urged to Take Caution

Jeollanam-do expects increase in overseas travel during Lunar New Year holiday
Contact with local fruit bats, pigs, and other animals should be avoided
Report to KDCA or local public health center if symptoms appear after returning

Nipah Virus Infection Prevention Guidelines. Provided by Jeollanam-do

Jeollanam-do has urged special caution regarding the recent occurrence of Nipah virus infection in India and several other countries, as the number of overseas travelers is expected to increase during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

Nipah virus infection is a high-risk infectious disease with a fatality rate of 40 to 75 percent, and it was newly designated as a first-class statutory infectious disease in September last year. In January this year, two cases were reported in India and one case in Bangladesh, and to date there have been no reported cases of infection in Korea.

As a zoonotic disease, its main routes of transmission are contact with infected animals such as fruit bats and pigs, consumption of contaminated food such as raw date palm sap, and close contact with the bodily fluids of patients.

In the early stages of infection, common symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle pain appear, but as the disease progresses to a severe stage, it can be accompanied by serious neurological symptoms such as encephalitis and decreased consciousness.

As there are currently no vaccines or treatments available, it is essential to follow preventive measures such as avoiding contact with (wild) animals, refraining from consuming contaminated drinks or food, avoiding direct contact with patients, and maintaining strict personal hygiene such as frequent handwashing.

In addition, if you develop suspected symptoms such as fever, headache, or sore throat within 14 days of returning from countries where Nipah virus has occurred, including India and Bangladesh, you must immediately report to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency or the local public health center with jurisdiction.

Jeong Gwangseon, Director General of Health and Welfare for Jeollanam-do, said, "Since there is a risk of infectious diseases when traveling abroad, I ask residents of the province who are planning trips to India or Southeast Asia to avoid drinking contaminated beverages or coming into contact with animals during their travels, and to strictly observe personal hygiene such as handwashing."