Jakarta (VNA) – I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, has intensified its health screening for passengers arriving to the island, as a precaution against the spread of Nipah virus.
The airport's communication representative, Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, said on January 29 that all personnel are committed to increasing their monitoring strictly and thoroughly to prevent the spread of the virus from arrival areas, reported the Indonesia national news agency Antara.
He said the airport authority is coordinating closely with the Health Ministry’s health quarantine office in Denpasar to carry out the screening process.
To support the effort, thermal scanner units have been installed at the airport, including two units at international arrival terminals, as well as one unit each at domestic arrivals and the VIP terminal, Asmadi added.
“If symptomatic passengers are detected, the quarantine office will refer them to Ngoerah Central General Hospital in Denpasar,” he said as quoted by Antara.
He noted that passenger traffic at the airport has been high recently, with an average daily movement of 35,358 passengers.
The World Health Organisation and other health agencies have stated that Nipah can affect the lungs and brain. The virus is transmitted to humans through animals or contaminated food. Symptoms of infection include fever, headache, drowsiness, confusion, and coma, with a mortality rate exceeding 40% among infected patients./.
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