Pakistan, Jan. 29 -- Pakistan on Wednesday decided to enforce "strict and enhanced health surveillance" at all entry points in the country with immediate effect in order to prevent the cross-border transmission of Nipah virus.

Nipah, carried by fruit bats and animals such as pigs, can trigger a deadly brain-swelling fever in humans and can also spread directly from person to person through close contact. Several vaccines are in development but remain in testing.

It is classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organisation (WHO) because of its ability to spark fast?moving outbreaks, its fatality rate of 40 per cent to 75pc, and the fact that there is no approved vaccine or cure.

The measures taken by authorities in Pakistan ...