On January 28, the Department of Disease Prevention under the Ministry of Health issued an urgent directive to 31 provincial and municipal health departments, five international health quarantine centers in Hai Phong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Quang Ninh, and Khanh Hoa, and 26 provincial and city-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calling for enhanced monitoring and prevention of Nipah virus infections.
To proactively prevent the virus from entering and spreading within the community, the department urged health authorities to strengthen disease prevention and control measures at border gates, medical facilities, and in the wider community; regularly update and closely monitor global disease developments; and intensify screening of immigrants to ensure early detection of suspected cases and prompt response.
Relevant units have been instructed to fully implement personal protective measures for healthcare workers and individuals who have had close contact with suspected or confirmed cases while strengthening infection control practices at medical examination and treatment facilities.
The Ministry of Health has also directed provincial health departments, international health quarantine centers, and provincial and municipal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop contingency plans for Nipah virus prevention and control at border checkpoints; organize training for healthcare workers at all levels on preventive measures and infection control; and review and reinforce rapid response teams to ensure readiness in the event of suspected or confirmed cases. In addition, propaganda efforts are to be intensified to ensure accurate public understanding, prevent unnecessary alarm, and encourage proactive disease prevention.
For the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology and Pasteur Institutes, the Department of Disease Prevention has called for enhanced technical guidance and support to local authorities in surveillance, sampling, storage, transportation, and receipt of clinical specimens.
According to the Department of Disease Prevention, India recorded five suspected cases of Nipah virus infection between December 27, 2025, and January 27, 2026, including two confirmed cases, at a hospital in West Bengal. The Nipah virus is primarily transmitted from animals to humans, currently mainly through fruit bats in India. Still, it can also spread via contaminated food or objects, as well as from person to person through direct contact with bodily fluids.
The incubation period ranges from four to fourteen days, with initial symptoms including headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat, potentially progressing to dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs consistent with acute encephalitis.
As of January 28, Vietnam has not reported any cases of Nipah virus infection. The Ministry of Health said it will continue to closely monitor the situation and coordinate with the World Health Organization and relevant countries to promptly direct and implement appropriate and effective disease prevention and control measures.
