Nipah virus: an emerging threat from Southeast Asia

The Nipah virus is worrying India with two deaths within a few months: let's find out what it is, the symptoms and how transmission occurs

The Nipah virus is an emergent type of zoonotic pathogen first identified in the Malaysian village that gave its name to the virus in 1999. Generally, this virus spreads from fruit bats and pigs to humans. Infection can occur through direct contact with infected animals or possibly through food contaminated by an infected animal’s saliva, urine, or feces. Though less common, human-to-human infection has also been reported, and this most often occurs via close contact with an infected individual.

Symptoms and death

The incubation period of Nipah ranges from 4 to 20 days. The initial symptoms are usually very common: fever, headache, sore throat, and muscle pain. Severe cases of this virus can cause acute respiratory infection and encephalitis-or brain inflammation-that can be deadly. The case fatality rate in previous outbreaks has ranged from 40% to 100%, depending on the timeliness of diagnosis and the quality of clinical management.

Recent outbreaks and control measures

This virus has, over the past years, caused a certain number of contained outbreaks in Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, and Singapore, which have been documented with infections and mortality. More recently, in Kerala State, India, there was fresh attention to the virus due to two deaths within a few months of each other. The local authorities ordered containment measures, such as the closure of schools and universities, with compulsory mask-wearing in the affected areas, besides putting dozens of people under quarantine.

Potential to spread outside of Asia

Nipah virus is a highly virulent virus; it has a high mortality rate and can spread from human to human. It has thus far restricted its outbreaks to Southeast Asia, but the rest of the world cannot afford to be complacent.

It would also be a cause for much serious trouble in case the virus started spreading to other parts of the world, such as the United States, whose systems and preparedness may not be as strong to handle the infectious agent. Greater vigilance would be provided through improved surveillance, coupled with rapid containment, so as to keep at arm’s length the possibility of a global health pandemic.