CANBERRA, Jan 30 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Australia's health minister said on Friday that the government is closely monitoring the outbreak of the Nipah virus in Asia, Xinhua news agency reported.
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 travellers.
Butler said on Friday that Australia has clear protocols in place for sick travellers 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 Organisation due to its epidemic potential and the severity of illness it can cause.
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