The DOH said it is closely monitoring the recent detection of confirmed human cases of the Nipah virus in West Bengal, India, noting that the situation is being watched by global health authorities, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
Despite these developments, the department emphasized that there are currently no international recommendations calling for travel restrictions.
While the Philippines’ borders remain open, the DOH said proactive border screening measures continue to be enforced to protect the public from the entry of infectious diseases. These measures include the submission of online health declarations prior to travel, on-arrival thermal scanning, and trained observation of travelers at ports of entry.
The DOH also stressed that the Nipah virus is not new to the Philippines. The virus was detected as early as 2014 in the southern Philippines, where 17 cases were recorded.
Following the 2014 incident, no further cases of the Nipah virus have been detected in the country, the DOH said.
