Almaty Airport Tests Response Readiness for Nipah Virus

Interagency emergency response exercises for public health emergencies were held at Almaty International Airport, as reported by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Committee of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The primary goal of the event was to refine the readiness of border services to detect and localize especially dangerous infections, such as the Nipah virus.

The drills involved specialists from the sanitary and epidemiological service, emergency medical services, and infectious disease hospitals, alongside representatives from the National Security Committee's Border Service, the Customs Service, and the Police Department.

Exercise Workflow:

According to the scenario, a passenger suspected of being infected with the Nipah virus was identified. All services executed a full response algorithm:

• Initial sanitary and quarantine control;
• Isolation and hospitalization of the suspected passenger;
• Implementation of anti-epidemic and disinfection measures.

Experts rated the level of interagency coordination and readiness as high. These protocols are designed to allow for a rapid response to biological threats and to minimize risks to the public.

In 2025, 7.2 million passengers underwent sanitary and quarantine control at Kazakhstan's borders. Among them, 86 individuals were identified with signs of high epidemiological risk and were examined by medical professionals. No cases of especially dangerous infectious diseases were recorded.