Hongkongers urged to avoid India’s West Bengal amid outbreak of deadly Nipah virus

Hongkongers should avoid travelling to West Bengal, which is battling an outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus, an infectious diseases expert has said, with an Indian community leader in the city predicting a short-term impact on family and business trips.The community leader also sought to reassure the public, dismissing fears that India’s outbreak would significantly affect Hong Kong in the long term.“There is a large and thriving Bengali community in Hong Kong. Those who are planning trips might postpone them until they see what the situation is,” Vishal Melwani, vice-president of the India Association Hong Kong, told the Post on Tuesday.India is battling a fresh outbreak of the Nipah virus with a hospital in Kolkata – the capital of West Bengal – recording five confirmed cases since mid-January.The cluster involved healthcare workers but there were no reported deaths or cross-border transmissions so far.About 100 close contacts have been quarantined.The Nipah virus is one of 53 notifiable infectious diseases under Hong Kong’s Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance.