Nipah virus is not a threat to Sri Lanka

The Health Ministry says that the Nipah virus has no effect on the country, and the people should not panic unnecessarily regarding it. The head of the epidemiology unit of the Health Ministry, Dr. Samith Ginige, says that although this virus is spread by a bat species, it has no effect in this country. This virus was first reported from Malaysia in 1998, and it was brought under control there through timely actions. He says that this virus is not a new viral infection, although it has spread slightly in Kerala. Four cases have been reported between 2018 and 2023 in Kerala, where the disease currently exists. Dr. Ginige said that it has been discovered that the virus spreads through bat faeces and urine and that the virus spreads to the public by eating things like fruits eaten by animals. The Ministry of Health has already ordered Nipah virus detection test kits and is expecting them to arrive in the country shortly. A Health Ministry spokesman said