Recent reports of a Nipah virus outbreak in India have raised concerns across Asia, with several countries stepping up health surveillance due to the virus’s high fatality rate. With human mortality ranging between 40% and 75%, Nipah is considered one of the deadliest zoonotic viruses known. Following confirmed deaths in West Bengal this month, countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore have introduced enhanced screening and testing measures to prevent cross-border spread.
So, is the Nipah virus the “next Covid-19”? Experts say while the virus is extremely dangerous, its transmission pattern is very different, and widespread community spread like Covid-19 has not been observed so far.
What is the Nipah Virus?
Nipah virus belongs to a family called henipaviruses and is zoonotic, meaning it can spread from animals to humans. Fruit bats are considered the natural carriers. Although outbreaks are typically limited in scale, the severity of infection makes early detection and isolation critical.
The virus spreads mainly through three routes. The first is direct exposure to infected bats, particularly through contact with their saliva, urine, or faeces. The second route is contaminated food, especially raw date palm sap or juice that has been exposed to the bodily fluids of infected bats.
The third route is human-to-human transmission, which can occur through close contact while caring for an infected person, particularly in household or hospital settings. This form of spread is considered less common but remains a serious concern.
Early symptoms include fever and severe headaches, which can quickly progress to breathing difficulties, seizures, unconsciousness, and neurological issues such as jerky movements, inability to move limbs, and even personality changes or psychosis.
Currently, there is no approved cure or vaccine for the Nipah virus. However, an experimental treatment called m102.4 is under development in Australia. A Phase 1 clinical trial, published in 2020, tested the treatment on healthy individuals to assess safety and side effects.
Health authorities continue to stress awareness, early diagnosis, and strict infection control as the best defence against Nipah virus outbreaks.
