During a special meeting on Wednesday, Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long urged private medical institutions to step up their vigilance against the threat of the Nipah* virus to Macau and enhance their ability to screen and identify potential patients.
An SSM statement on Wednesday night said that in the wake of Nipah virus infection cases in India’s West Bengal, the Health Bureau convened a meeting that day to brief healthcare workers and representatives from private medical institutions about the Nipah virus’ potential threat to Macau and the government’s special measures to prevent the disease.
During the meeting, according to the statement, Dr Lo said that although India is geographically distant from Macau, international travel is convenient and personnel exchanges are frequent nowadays, meaning that if individuals who have been to the areas affected by Nipah virus infections seek medical treatment in Macau but healthcare workers fail to identify those infected with the virus in a timely manner, this could lead to the spread of the virus in Macau.
Consequently, Dr Lo urged frontline healthcare workers to remain vigilant against the potential threat of the Nipah virus and enhance their ability to identify suspected cases. Dr Lo said that healthcare workers should ask patients with the related symptoms whether they have travelled to India, with the aim of detecting and controlling sources of infection early.
*The Nipah virus is a rare but deadly virus that can spread from animals (like fruit bats) to humans, and then between humans. It causes severe brain swelling (encephalitis) and respiratory problems, with a very high fatality rate. – DeepSeek
Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long speaks during Wednesday’s meeting with local healthcare workers. – Photo: SSM
The poster in Chinese released by the Health Bureau on Wednesday explains the Nipah virus.
