No inbound traveler with Nipah virus has so far been intercepted at Philippine airports and seaports, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) said on Saturday, Jan. 31.

BOQ Officer-in-Charge Director Dr. Roberto Salvador Jr. said screening has been in place since the issue emerged, including for passengers arriving on direct flights from India, but no suspected cases have been detected.

“Sa ngayon po, mula po nang lumabas po ang issue about Nipah, wala po tayong na-mo-monitor or na-i-intercept po even po galing doon sa binabantayan nating direct flight from India (At present, since the issue about Nipah emerged, we have not monitored or intercepted any passenger, even from the direct flights from India that we are monitoring),” he said in a radio interview.

Salvador said no additional travel restrictions are being imposed, with authorities instead focusing on closer scrutiny of inbound travelers.

“Sa ngayon po, wala naman po tayong dinadagdag na travel restrictions. So ang importante lang po talaga is mino-monitor nating maigi ‘yung travelers po na galing po doon sa flight na mino-monitor natin (At present, we are not adding any travel restrictions. What is important is that we closely monitor travelers from the flights under watch),” he said.

“Pinapaigting po natin ‘yung pagsusuri sa kanila kung mayroon pong lagnat and ‘yung spotters po importante rin po para po makita natin, clinical eye trained sila na makakita po ng mga additional signs and symptoms kung sakaling hindi po talaga sila nag-declare ng tamang impormasyon sa e-travel po (We are intensifying screening for fever, and spotters are important because they are clinically trained to detect additional signs and symptoms, especially if passengers did not properly declare correct information in the e-travel system).”

Department of Health (DOH) Health Promotion Bureau Director Tina Marasigan said border surveillance and screening protocols are routinely implemented at all international airports and seaports, regardless of whether a specific virus is under monitoring.

She said all airports and seaports have BOQ substations equipped with infrared thermal scanners positioned at arrival areas.

According to DOH, two BOQ nurses are assigned to each scanner to monitor inbound travelers, with alarms triggered when a passenger’s temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius.

“Dalawang BOQ nurses po ang nakatalaga sa thermal scanners na ito para ma-monitor ang temperatura ng mga papasok na pasahero galing sa ibang bansa. Tutunog po ang scanner kapag mas mataas sa 37.5 ang temperatura ng taong nabasa nito (Two BOQ nurses are assigned to these thermal scanners to monitor the temperature of inbound passengers from abroad. The scanner sounds an alarm if the recorded temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius),” said Marasigan.

In addition to thermal scanning, the health department said trained spotters are deployed to visually assess passengers for possible symptoms such as wounds or rashes.

Passengers flagged during primary screening undergo further interviews and physical examinations in line with health and safety protocols, the agency added.

Marasigan said those requiring further evaluation may be referred to DOH-designated hospitals, including the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

She added that all inbound travelers are required to complete the health declaration checklist through the e-travel application to identify passengers arriving from flagged countries for possible additional screening.

Earlier, the Department of Health said it is closely monitoring the spread of the Nipah virus abroad and is coordinating with Philippine airport authorities as part of its routine surveillance measures.

Nipah is a rare zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans, with fruit bats as its primary reservoir, though pigs and horses may also become infected, and transmission to humans occurring through contact with infected animals, contaminated food, or close contact with an infected person.

The virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1998 and later spread to Singapore in 1999, with both outbreaks eventually contained.