MANILA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday urged Filipinos to remain vigilant amid reports of the spread of the Nipah virus abroad, even as it assured the public that the country is prepared to prevent its entry and transmission.

The DOH said the recent detection of confirmed human cases of Nipah Virus in West Bengal, India, is being closely monitored globally.

It noted, however, that there are no international recommendations for travel restrictions at this time.

While the Philippines' borders remain open, the DOH said proactive border screening measures continue to be enforced to protect the public from the entry of infectious diseases. These include online health declarations before travel, on-arrival thermal scanning, and trained observation of travelers at ports of entry.

The DOH stressed that the Nipah virus is not new to the Philippines. It was detected as early as 2014 in the southern Philippines, where 17 cases were recorded.

Following the 2014 incident, no further Nipah virus cases were detected in the country, said the DOH. ■