Kazakhstan strengthens border controls due to Nipah virus

On February 9, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health issued a new statement on the Nipah virus, warning that controls have been strengthened at all border checkpoints, Nur.kz reported.

According to the ministry, sanitary and quarantine control has been intensified at all border crossing points of Kazakhstan due to the worsening epidemiological situation related to the Nipah virus in several Southeast Asian countries.

“Special attention is being given to citizens arriving from countries considered high-risk for this infection, including India. The list of such countries is regularly updated. Interagency training exercises are being conducted at international airports to respond to public health emergencies,” the ministry said.

The ministry also reported that medical institutions have been placed on high alert and supplied with reserves of medicines, personal protective equipment, and disinfectants.

Earlier, a fatal case of the Nipah virus was reported near Kolkata in India. Five cases have been identified in West Bengal, three of which were recorded last week, including a doctor, a nurse, and a medical facility employee.

According to Nurmat Otabekov, First Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health, no cases of Nipah virus infection or entry into the country have been recorded in Uzbekistan. The epidemiological situation in the country remains stable and under full control.

Uzbekistan has also banned the import of animals and birds from India in response to the virus.