Taiwan to list Nipah virus as Category 5 disease after India outbreak

Taipei, Jan. 25 (CNA) Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) intends to list Nipah virus infection as a Category 5 notifiable disease following a recent outbreak in India.

CDC officials told CNA on Sunday that it released a proposed change to its measures on controlling infectious diseases on Jan. 16, which would list Nipah virus infection as a Category 5 disease.

The measure now has to undergo a 60-day period during which members of the public can comment on it before it can take effect.

The Nipah virus has only been under priority surveillance in Taiwan since 2018, according to CDC data. Globally, more than 750 cases have been reported since the virus was first identified in 1998, with a fatality rate of about 58 percent.

As a Category 5 disease under Taiwan's system, the virus would be classified as an emerging or rare infection with major public health risks, requiring immediate reporting and special control measures.

India is taking action to contain its Nipah virus outbreak in the eastern state of West Bengal after five infections were confirmed there as of Jan. 19, said CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠).

Despite the CDC's intention to classify the virus as a Category 5 disease, Lin said Taiwan is maintaining its Level 2 "yellow" travel alert for Kerala state in southwestern India -- a traditional hotspot for the Nipah virus -- with no warning for West Bengal or any other area.

Under Taiwan's four-tier travel advisory system, a Level 2 "yellow" alert advises travelers to exercise heightened caution and take preventive measures, but does not restrict travel.

Lin said travel advisories will be updated as the outbreak evolves. If community transmission occurs, alerts may be raised; if infections remain confined to hospitals, travelers would simply be advised to avoid medical facilities in affected areas.

Lin warned that fruit bats are the natural source of Nipah virus and said coconuts contaminated by bat saliva or urine pose an infection risk. He urged visitors to India to avoid raw or unheated foods and drinks, with raw coconut juice to especially be avoided.

The CDC said Nipah virus can infect humans through contact with infected bats or animals such as pigs, as well as through respiratory droplets or direct contact with bodily fluids. Limited human-to-human transmission has also been documented.

Symptoms range widely, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis, the CDC said.