The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that it will classify Nipah virus infection as a first-class infectious disease starting August 8, the first time in five years that such a classification has been added.
South Korea has implemented a four-level classification and control system for infectious diseases since 2020, with Level 1 being the highest. According to South Korea’s infectious disease classification guidelines, suspected and confirmed Nipah virus patients will receive public health management, including mandatory reporting, isolation, contact tracing, and epidemiological investigations.
India and Bangladesh have recently reported cases of Nipah virus infection. Travelers arriving in South Korea from these two countries must report their health status through a specific system. South Korean medical institutions must immediately report patients with symptoms similar to Nipah virus infection and those with recent travel history from high-risk areas.
According to media reports, South Korea has not yet reported any cases of Nipah virus.
Nipah virus was first discovered in Malaysia in 1998, and the infected were mainly pig farmers and people with close contact with animals. Nipah virus can attack human lungs and brains, with symptoms including fever, headache, drowsiness, confusion, and coma. The mortality rate for infected people is as high as 75%, and the mortality rate for infected animals is 60%.
According to the World Health Organization, the incubation period for this virus, from infection to symptom onset, is generally 4 to 14 days, but can be as long as 45 days. Currently, there are no specific vaccines or effective treatments for Nipah virus.