What is Nipah Virus?

About Nipah Virus:

• Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging zoonotic virus that can be transmitted to humans from animals (both wild and domestic).
• It can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person.
• Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the natural hosts of Nipah virus.
• NiV infection can be asymptomatic or mild (subclinical), but it also causes acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
• Symptoms:
  • Initial symptoms of NiV infection may include fever, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), nausea, vomiting, sore throat, cough, and/or respiratory discomfort.
  • Acute encephalitis might develop with the following symptoms: dizziness, drowsiness, altered state of consciousness, and any other indicative neurological signs.
  • In severe cases, encephalitis and seizures occur and may lead to coma within 24–48 hours.
  • Progression to encephalitis indicates a poor prognosis, with death within a median of six days after the onset of symptoms.
• The case fatality rate is estimated between 40–75% or higher, and it varies depending on the specific NiV strain, access to and quality of healthcare, or the severity of illness.
• Treatment: There are no specifically approved treatments or vaccines available for NiV infection, either for people or animals.
• So far, NiV outbreaks have only been described in Asia.
  • The first reported outbreak occurred in 1998–1999 and involved pig farmers in the village of Sungai Nipah (Malaysia).
  • Since then, sporadic outbreaks have been documented in Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and Singapore.
• NiV infection is one of the priority diseases on the World Health Organization (WHO) R&D Blueprint because of its epidemic or pandemic potential.