Benapole Immigration Health Department today started to check the passengers travelling between India and Bangladesh as part of its initiative to prevent the spread of the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV).

The measures have been taken as the immigration authorities yesterday received instructions in this regard.

The latest development came as India on January 6 reported the first two confirmed cases of the HMPV in the southern state of Karnataka. The virus is reported to have originated in China.

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India detects first two HMPV cases in Bengaluru

The port authorities have started providing various awareness tips including wearing masks to passengers.

The HMPV spread widely in China in the first week of January. Later, it was detected in Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and India.

This virus is especially affecting young children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems.

A large number of passport holders travel between India and Bangladesh every day using Benapole and Petrapole land ports for various purposes.

Paritosh Kumar, a Bangladeshi, said that he went to India for treatment, On the way back, the Benapole Immigration Health Department examined him and gave him advice to stay safe from the virus.

Benapole Immigration's Officer-in-charge Imtiaz Mohammad Ahsanul Kader Bhuiyan said, the immigration authorities are vigilant regarding the matter. They are checking whether any passport holders coming from India are infected, he added.

Abdul Majid, deputy assistant medical officer of the Immigration Health Department, said that they have been checking whether the passengers are showing the symptoms of the virus.