Guernsey will monitor Nipah virus situation

The States of Guernsey will continue to monitor cases of Nipah virus reported in India, it has said.

Nipah can spread from animals to humans and is associated with a high mortality rate as there is no vaccine for it.

Guernsey's government said the latest advice was that the risk to tourists visiting affected areas remained very low, provided standard precautions were followed.

Travellers who had concerns while abroad, or after returning home, should seek advice from a healthcare professional, the States added.

India has confirmed two laboratory‑verified Nipah virus cases since December, both involving healthcare workers in West Bengal, with 196 contacts traced and all testing, India's health ministry says.

Authorities in Thailand and Nepal have started testing at airports that receive flights from West Bengal, and at other land border points with India.

The World Health Organization has described Nipah as one of its top 10 priority diseases because of its potential to trigger an epidemic.

In a recent blog post, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed it had received funding in 2022 to created the first UK model for testing Nipah infections and had been studying the virus for several years.

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