Rapid Fire
Nipah Virus
- 13 Jan 2026
- 3 min read
Two suspected Nipah virus infections among healthcare workers in West Bengal have triggered an urgent state and central public health response, highlighting India’s preparedness against high-risk zoonotic diseases.
- Nipah virus (NiV): It is a highly infectious zoonotic virus, first identified in 1998–99 in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia.
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is transmitted from animals to humans, with fruit bats (Pteropodidae) as the natural reservoir and pigs as intermediate hosts. The virus belongs to the Henipavirus genus of the Paramyxoviridae family.
- It has the potential for human-to-human transmission, making it a serious public health threat that requires rapid surveillance and containment.
- Symptoms and Clinical Features: Nipah infection usually begins with influenza-like symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, sore throat, and respiratory distress.
- In severe cases, it can progress to acute encephalitis, leading to convulsions, disorientation, coma, and even death.
- Importantly, asymptomatic infections are also reported, complicating containment efforts.
- Diagnosis and Testing: NiV is classified as a Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) pathogen, requiring testing in high-security laboratories.
- Diagnosis is confirmed using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), ELISA, serum neutralisation tests, histopathology, and virus isolation techniques.
- Treatment and Prevention: There is no approved vaccine for Nipah virus in humans or animals.
- Treatment relies on intensive supportive care and isolation. India, particularly Kerala, has improved outcomes by using monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs such as Remdesivir, reducing mortality from 91% in 2018 to around 33% by 2023–25.
- India and Nipah outbreaks: India has witnessed Nipah outbreaks in West Bengal (2007) and Kerala (2018, 2023, and 2025), making early detection, contact tracing, and rapid medical response critical for public health preparedness.
| Read more: Nipah Virus |
