The government has installed thermal scanner in Dhaka airport for the people coming from the 30 Zika-affected countries, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim has said.
The minister made the disclosure in a press conference held in his Secretariat office on Tuesday.
“There is no concern over the potential for Zika virus to spread in the country. As part of precautionary steps, we have set up thermal scanner in Dhaka Airport for the people coming from the 30 Zika-affected countries. In case of spotting any suffering from fever, we will conduct further investigation to detect the virus.
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“Until we have been confirmed that he or she is not carrying the virus, we will keep him in Isolation Ward, a special room set up inside the airport for the purpose,” Nasim also said.
Zika, an emerging Aedes-mosquito-borne virus, is spreading throughout the Americas recently and it could reach Bangladesh anytime, health experts warn.
Concerns have grown even stronger inside country after news media in Thailand and Taiwan in January reported cases of the virus infection among locals. Both places are popular destinations for Bangladeshi travellers, increasing the risk of the virus also spreading here.
Aedes aegypti, the carrier of the virus, is also responsible for spreading dengue fever throughout the Indian sub-continent region, especially in Bangladesh and India.
At the moment, the Central and Latin Americas have been hit the hardest, with more than three million reported cases of infection last year, according to the Pan American Health Organisation.
BBC says the virus has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains and some countries have advised women not to get pregnant. There is currently no vaccine available.
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