BANGKOK – Online posts about a small Nipah virus outbreak in India’s West Bengal have sparked concern among some people in Thailand. Thai health authorities say there’s no need to panic.
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) under the Ministry of Public Health has repeated a clear message: Thailand has found no Nipah virus cases. Officials say long-running checks and reporting systems support that position.
At a press briefing late last week, DDC Deputy Director Airin Paithit said there was no reason for alarm. Thailand has tracked zoonotic diseases such as Nipah for more than 20 years, and the country has not recorded human infections.
Even so, officials are bringing back some monitoring steps used during the pandemic, mainly as a safety measure for travellers.
COVID-era airport checks brought back
To reduce the chance of the virus being brought in, thermal scanners have returned to key entry points. Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports in Bangkok, Chiang Mai International Airport, and Chiang Rai International Airport are running stronger fever screening for arriving passengers.
Staff use thermo-scan devices, health declaration forms, and quick medical checks when someone looks unwell. The focus is on symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, cough, and breathing problems.
At Chiang Mai Airport, teams are paying closer attention to flights from India. They are handing out information sheets and asking travellers to report symptoms without delay. Similar checks are in place at Chiang Rai, a northern gateway near international borders and areas where fruit bats are common. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is working with airport health teams, which can isolate and assess anyone who shows signs of illness.
The Ministry of Public Health has also started targeted screening for passengers arriving from Kolkata and other affected areas. Anyone with fever or related symptoms is assessed straight away, with samples sent to the National Institute of Health for RT-PCR testing.
Officials say results can be ready within eight hours, which supports fast action if a suspected case appears.
Fruit bats and Nipah virus in Thailand
Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus linked to fruit bats from the Pteropus group, often called flying foxes. These bats can carry the virus without looking sick, and can shed it in saliva, urine, and faeces.
In Thailand, fruit bat species, including Pteropus lylei, are found in many places, from forests and orchards to rural communities. They are also present in northern provinces such as Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
Research over the past 20 years has found Nipah antibodies and genetic material in Thai bats. Findings have pointed to both Malaysian and Bangladeshi strains.
Even with that evidence in wildlife, Thailand has not seen a spillover into people. Specialists often link this to lower-risk exposure patterns. In parts of India and Bangladesh, outbreaks have been tied to drinking raw date palm sap contaminated by bat secretions.
Health officials also point to known risk routes seen in earlier outbreaks. Transmission risk rises with certain behaviours, such as drinking raw date palm sap or close contact with infected pigs, as seen during the 1998 to 1999 outbreak in Malaysia.
Without these types of exposure, the general risk remains low, even in areas where bats roost near villages or urban parks.
The World Health Organization lists Nipah as a priority pathogen. It can be deadly, with reported fatality rates of around 50 to 70 percent in past outbreaks, and it can spread between people through respiratory droplets.
There is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Illness can start with fever and then become severe, including encephalitis, coma, and death. Most outbreaks so far have been limited to parts of South and South East Asia.
Public health advice: Stay informed, not fearful
Thai authorities say the lack of human cases comes from steady prevention work rather than luck. Thailand has used a One Health approach since the early 2000s, linking human, animal, and environmental checks. Regular bat sampling, inspections linked to livestock, and public health advice remain key parts of that plan.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently said Thailand is using lessons from COVID-19 surveillance to stay ready. The tighter checks are described as a precaution, not a sign of an immediate threat.
The government is also asking the public not to spread false claims or rush into panic buying. Travellers arriving from affected areas are advised to watch for symptoms for 14 days after arrival.
Thai health teams are keeping a close eye on developments abroad, including the situation in India, where a small number of cases have led to quarantine steps. Officials are also sharing updates through regional health networks.
For now, the core message remains steady. With airport screening in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai, and no detected cases in Thailand, authorities say the country is prepared. People are encouraged to follow everyday health habits, keep away from sick animals, and seek medical care for unexplained fever.
As one virologist put it, knowledge and steady vigilance work better than fear when new health threats appear.
