Islamabad: The National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad has acquired one hundred testing kits to screen suspected patients, even as Pakistan places its borders, airports and health system on high alert following confirmation of multiple cases in India’s West Bengal, officials in the federal health ministry said on Thursday.
Officials said any suspected Nipah cases identified at points of entry would have their samples sent to the National Institute of Health Islamabad for laboratory confirmation.
According to health authorities, throat and nasal swabs, blood samples, cerebrospinal fluid or urine would be collected under strict biosafety protocols and tested using real time RT PCR, the gold standard method for detecting Nipah virus infection.
The move comes after separate advisories issued by Border Health Services Pakistan and the National Institute of Health warned that the highly fatal zoonotic virus poses a serious regional threat due to cross border travel and its potential for human to human transmission.
Although Pakistan has not reported a confirmed human case so far, officials say preparedness is essential given the virus’s high mortality rate.
Border Health Services Pakistan, working under the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, has ordered immediate enforcement of strict and enhanced health surveillance at all points of entry, including international airports, seaports and land border crossings, without any exception.
Under the directive, one hundred percent screening of all arriving and transit passengers, crew members, drivers and support staff has been made mandatory, and no individual will be allowed entry into Pakistan without health clearance from border health authorities.
The advisory states that all travellers must undergo thermal screening and clinical assessment, while their complete travel and transit history for the preceding twenty one days will be verified regardless of nationality. Special vigilance has been ordered for travellers arriving from or transiting through Nipah affected or high risk regions, with instructions to document and report any false declaration or concealment of travel history.
Screening staff have been directed to remain alert for early symptoms of Nipah virus infection, including fever, headache, respiratory symptoms and neurological signs such as confusion, drowsiness or altered consciousness.
Any individual meeting the suspected case definition is to be immediately isolated at the point of entry, restricted from onward movement and managed strictly in accordance with infection prevention and control protocols before referral to a designated isolation facility or tertiary care hospital.
A separate alert issued by the Centers for Disease Control at the National Institute of Health Islamabad confirmed that at least five Nipah cases have been reported in India’s West Bengal, including infections among healthcare workers in Kolkata. The advisory notes that Nipah virus carries a case fatality rate ranging from forty to seventy five percent and can cause severe respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
While reiterating that Pakistan has not detected a human case to date, the NIH has directed all provincial health departments to identify at least one tertiary care hospital or infectious diseases unit for the safe triage, isolation and clinical management of suspected Nipah patients. Provinces have also been asked to ensure availability of trained staff, personal protective equipment including N95 masks, and to place rapid response teams on active standby for case investigation and contact tracing.
According to the NIH, Nipah virus is transmitted to humans through consumption of food contaminated by fruit bats, direct contact with infected animals such as bats or pigs, and close unprotected contact with infected individuals, particularly in healthcare settings. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain and vomiting, which can rapidly progress to encephalitis, seizures and coma within twenty four to forty eight hours.
The incubation period typically ranges from four to fourteen days but can extend up to forty five days, increasing the risk of silent cross border transmission. Laboratory confirmation relies on real time RT PCR testing, with all samples required to be transported to NIH Islamabad under strict cold chain and biosafety conditions.
Health officials have acknowledged that there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Nipah virus infection. Management remains largely supportive, and severe cases often require intensive care and mechanical ventilation. The clinical effectiveness of ribavirin remains inconclusive and it is not routinely recommended.
The advisories state that public health emergency operations centres across the country have been placed on watch mode, daily case or nil reporting from all points of entry has been made mandatory, and any lapse in surveillance or infection control will be treated as serious negligence.
Although the World Health Organization has assessed the risk of wider international spread from the current Indian cases as low for now, federal health officials say early detection and preparedness are critical to prevent delayed response, particularly in light of Pakistan’s previous experience with emerging infectious diseases.
Both advisories have been circulated widely to provincial health departments, border authorities and healthcare facilities, with instructions to keep the federal government informed of all preventive and preparedness measures taken in their respective jurisdictions.