Nearly six million travelers screened; MOH downgrades Nipah response from alert to watch mode

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry (MOH) has confirmed that Malaysia has recorded no new Nipah virus (NiV) cases, prompting a downgrade of its response level from alert mode to watch mode.

In a statement, the ministry said between January 29 and February 26, nearly six million travelers were screened, including 123,103 from affected countries with no cases meeting the NiV case definition were detected.

Malaysia has not reported any Nipah cases since the successful containment of the 1999 outbreak.

“From 1998 until May 2024, a total of 754 NiV cases have been reported worldwide, with 435 deaths, equivalent to a mortality rate of 58 percent.

“Most recently, on Jan 27, India reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) two confirmed NiV infection cases in West Bengal involving healthcare workers, while on Feb 3, Bangladesh reported one confirmed case involving a 45-year-old woman with a history of consuming raw palm sap.

“To date, no new cases have been reported globally,” it added.

MOH said based on the current risk assessment and global developments, it had previously activated alert mode and implemented targeted health screening at International Entry Points (IEPs) following reports of cases in affected countries.

The Ministry also stated that Malaysia has now passed two incubation periods without any detected NiV cases.

Considering that there is no evidence of Nipah virus crossing into Malaysia, MOH has reviewed its preparedness measures and determined that the response level can be lowered from alert mode to watch mode.

“Alert mode refers to a higher level of preparedness with the implementation of additional control measures when the risk is assessed as elevated.

“Meanwhile, watch mode indicates that the situation is under control, but continuous monitoring and surveillance are maintained to ensure that any changes in risk can be promptly detected and addressed.”

MOH also said along with the downgrade of the response level to watch mode, the implementation of targeted health screening at IEPs will be terminated.

Nevertheless, the ministry said domestic surveillance activities and monitoring of global developments will continue to be strengthened based on a risk-based approach and the One Health principle to ensure that any changes in risk can be promptly detected and addressed.

“The ministry continuously monitors the developments of NiV infections globally through collaboration with WHO and international health networks.”

 The Sun Malaysia