- Australia is closely monitoring the Nipah virus outbreak in Asia, says Health Minister Butler
- Nipah virus has never been detected in Australia but is considered a serious threat
- Australia maintains protocols for sick travelers and has no current plans to change them
Australia's health minister said on Friday that the government is closely monitoring the outbreak of the Nipah virus in Asia. Mark Butler told Nine Network television that the Nipah virus has never been detected in Australia, but that authorities were taking the threat posed by an outbreak that began in India in December very seriously. "The Indian authorities tell us they've got that outbreak under control, but nonetheless, we're monitoring it very, very closely, because this is a very serious virus," he said. Authorities in Indonesia on Thursday implemented stricter monitoring for passengers arriving from overseas at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, which is the most popular overseas destination for Australian travelers, Xinhua news agency reported.
Butler said on Friday that Australia has clear protocols in place for sick travelers arriving from overseas and that the government has not received any advice to change those protocols.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease transmitted between animals and humans and, in some instances, through human-to-human contact. It is classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization due to its epidemic potential and the severity of illness it can cause.
Nipah virus was first identified in 1998 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia. In 1999, an outbreak was reported in Singapore following the importation of sick pigs from Malaysia. No new outbreaks have been reported from Malaysia or Singapore since 1999. In 2001, Nipah virus infection outbreaks were detected in India and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, outbreaks have been reported almost every year since. In India, outbreaks are periodically reported in several parts of the country, including the latest one in 2026.
Nipah virus can also spread between people. It has been reported in health-care settings and among family and caregivers of sick people through close contact. In health facilities, the risk of spread can increase in overcrowded, poorly ventilated hospital environments with inadequate implementation of infection prevention and control measures (such as the use of personal protective equipment, cleaning and disinfection, and hand hygiene).
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