• Urge public to avoid affected regions, be cautious  
• Call for enhanced vigilance and screening

The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) yesterday (23) said that the risks posed by the Nipah virus, which has recently emerged in parts of India, had not manifested into a threat for Sri Lanka yet, but cautioned against travelling to the affected parts of the subcontinent.

The SLMA also urged the relevant health agencies to take precautionary measures and practise enhanced screening for early detection.

SLMA President Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, who is a specialist in community medicine, clarified that Nipah virus transmission was not perceived to be as easy as that of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus responsible for Covid-19. 

According to the specialist, the Nipah virus transmission primarily occurs through close contact with infected individuals. 

He commended India’s strict measures to prevent cross-border transmission, stating that the virus had been contained effectively for now.

“They have contained and taken strict measures to ensure that it doesn’t cross borders even within India. The transmission happens between close contacts of people who have already been infected by the virus. It is not SARS-CoV-2, where transmission can occur very easily. This is not like that; very close contact with an infected person is needed. However, because the numbers are still very small and the Indians are containing the issue, the danger of a passenger boarding an aircraft, especially after being closely associated with a Nipah virus patient, is very low,” Dr. Ariyaratne explained.

Regarding the source of the Nipah virus, Dr. Ariyaratne explained that there was no evidence of the virus being present in the bat population in Sri Lanka, especially among fruit bats. Thus, the virus is likely introduced through human contact from outside the country. Currently, there is no danger of animal transmission within Sri Lanka.

“While I’m not a biologist, as far as I know the bat population in Sri Lanka has never had any evidence of carrying this virus, so it has to come from human contact from outside the country. There is no danger of animal transmission in Sri Lanka at the moment. The challenge here is that the signs and symptoms are very general, so you have to be tested if there is a suspected case of Nipah,” he added.

He stressed the importance of preparedness and said that test kits for Nipah virus were being developed by the Medical Research Institute in Sri Lanka. 

He said that while vigilance was crucial, there was no need to panic and reassured the public that consuming fruits was safe.

“Having said that, we have to take precautions. We have to have the test kits ready. The Medical Research Institute has already said that it will have the test kits ready within a few days, so I think our preparedness is okay and there is no need to panic.”

Dr. Ariyaratne strongly recommended avoiding travel to areas in India where the Nipah virus had been identified. He emphasised on the importance of ongoing monitoring and surveillance and indicated that precautions would be adjusted based on the evolving situation in India.

“I think it’s essential that people should avoid travelling to those places in India – that’s the main thing. We also need to monitor the situation unfolding in India now and, depending on that, we will have to take precautions accordingly.”