Although Nipah virus has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people, making it a public health concern.
The case fatality rate is estimated at 40% to 75%. This rate can vary by outbreak depending on local capabilities for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management.
Currently there is no treatment or vaccine available against Nipah virus.
Zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people. Fruit bats are the wildlife reservoir of Nipah virus.
In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
There have been a total 639 human cases of NiV infection reported from Bangladesh, India, Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia, with a mortality rate of about 59% until 2018.
mRNA (1)
Phase I (1)
Adults (1)
Source:
WHO. Nipah virus. 2018 [cited 2023 August]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/nipah-virus.
Singh RK, Dhama K, Chakraborty S, Tiwari R, Natesa. Nipah virus: epidemiology, pathology, immunobiology and advances in diagnosis, vaccine designing and control strategies–a comprehensive review. Veterinary Quarterly. 2019; 39(1): 26-55.
