Hanoi, Jan. 28 -- The Department of Medical Services Administration under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued a directive urging hospitals under the ministry, medical units of ministries and sectors, and provincial and municipal health departments to intensify preventive and control measures against Nipah virus disease.

Nipah virus infection is designated a Group A infectious disease, with reported fatality rates of between 40 and 75%. At present, no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment is available. The virus is mainly transmitted from animals to humans or through contact with contaminated food and objects, and can also spread between people via direct contact with bodily fluids and secretions of infected patients. The incubation...