Nipah virus

 

Nipah virus

**Nipah virus is a deadly zoonotic virus carried by fruit bats that spreads to humans through contaminated food, direct contact with infected animals (like pigs), or person‑to‑person transmission. Once inside the body, it attacks the respiratory system and brain, often causing severe pneumonia or fatal encephalitis, with mortality rates between 40–75%.**   

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## 🔬 How Nipah Virus Works in the Body

- **Entry & Reservoirs**  

  - Natural hosts: *Pteropus* fruit bats (flying foxes).  

  - Spillover occurs when humans consume food contaminated by bat saliva/urine (e.g., raw date palm sap) or through infected pigs.  

  - Human‑to‑human transmission is possible, especially in healthcare settings.   

- **Pathogenesis**  

  - Nipah virus belongs to the **Henipavirus genus** in the **Paramyxoviridae family**.  

  - It enters cells via receptors on endothelial and neuronal tissues, spreading through the bloodstream.  

  - The virus causes **vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation)** and damages the central nervous system.  

  - This leads to **encephalitis (brain swelling)** and sometimes **acute respiratory distress**.   

- **Symptoms**  

  - Range from mild fever and headache to severe neurological disease.  

  - Common signs: fever, cough, sore throat, dizziness, confusion.  

  - Severe cases: seizures, coma, and death.  

  - Case fatality rate: **40–75%**, depending on outbreak and medical care available.   

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## 🧪 Transmission Pathways

| Source | How Infection Happens | Example |

|--------|----------------------|---------|

| **Fruit bats** | Contamination of food/drinks | Drinking raw date palm sap |

| **Intermediate hosts (pigs)** | Close contact with infected animals | Farmers in Malaysia outbreak (1999) |

| **Human‑to‑human** | Respiratory droplets, body fluids | Hospital outbreaks in Bangladesh |

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## 🚑 Treatment & Prevention

- **No specific antiviral or vaccine** currently available.  

- **Supportive care** (hydration, oxygen therapy, seizure control) is the only treatment.  

- **Prevention strategies**:  

  - Avoid consumption of raw palm sap.  

  - Limit contact with sick animals.  

  - Strict infection control in hospitals (isolation, PPE).  

  - Surveillance in bat populations and livestock.   

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## ⚠️ Key Risks

- **High lethality**: Mortality rates rival Ebola.  

- **Potential for outbreaks**: Occurs almost yearly in South Asia (Bangladesh, India).  

- **Global concern**: Classified as a **biosafety level‑4 pathogen** due to pandemic potential.