Nipah Virus Origins and Current Problems

Nipah Virus is an infectious zoonotic disease that can spread by travelling from animals to humans. Nipah virus had its first outbreak in 1999 in Singapore and is now common in parts of Asia. Fruit bats or flying foxes are the disease carriers; the Nipah virus can be found in pigs too, which massively affects farmers. The virus affects animals, but once a person is infected, it can start spreading among humans through bodily fluids such as sweat and saliva. Nipah Virus can cause encephalitis- swelling of the brain, acute respiratory issues; it can cause other milder to severe symptoms and even result in the patient’s death.

Nipah Virus

Nipah Virus is a zoonotic virus; it is signified as NiV. Nipah virus was first found in Singapore and Malaysia in 1999. The outbreak first affected pigs and pig farmers; it affected at least three hundred humans, killed one hundred and resulted in more than one million pigs being killed to help prevent the virus from spreading like wildfire. The virus has been seen in other parts of Asia, specifically in India and Bangladesh. The virus affects animals, but once a person is infected, it can start spreading among humans through bodily fluids such as sweat and saliva.

Nipah Virus is from the family of Paramyxoviridae and is the genus of Hendra Virus- another virus carried by bats. Fruit bats, also known as Flying Foxes, are the primary carriers of the Nipah Virus. Fruit bats are the culprit in giving the disease to pigs. Nipah virus is a major health concern for the general public; Nipah Virus can be prevented by avoiding the areas of infected or ill pigs and bats.

Spreading of Nipah Virus

Nipah Virus is carried by Flying Foxes, a type of bat. Flying Foxes infected the pigs with Nipah Virus, and since Nipah Virus is a zoonotic virus, it can also be transmitted to humans. It can spread to humans from animals by being in close contact with the infected animals. It can be transmitted through the bodily fluids of animals and people. 

Nipah Symptoms

Nipah Virus can cause mild to severe symptoms in a patient, including acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis, resulting in death. The Nipah symptoms occur between three to fourteen days of being infected. It includes cold-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough and respiratory issues. It can cause swelling of the brain in worse cases, leading to confusion, drowsiness, feeling disoriented, vomiting, and eventually being in a comatose state. Even after surviving the Nipah symptoms, side effects like convulsions and personality changes can be seen in the long term in the survivors.

Mild symptoms of the Nipah virus are:

Fever, headache, coughing, sore throat, breathing difficulty, vomiting

Severe or fatal symptoms of the virus include:

Disorientation, drowsiness, confusion, seizures, coma, brain swelling or encephalitis. 

Treatment of Nipah Virus

Since there are no symptoms in some cases, you might not recognise Nipah Virus at first. Still, if you show symptoms, your doctor is less likely to recognise the virus since the signs are also the symptoms of other illnesses or diseases. But suppose you’ve been exposed to a known infected person or animal and show severe virus symptoms. In that case, you will be diagnosed first by real-time polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA test.

There is no direct treatment for Nipah Virus, and no drugs or Nipah vaccines have been developed. The only support from doctors is through treatment of the symptoms caused by the infection, extensive rest, and keeping hydrated. Doctors are also using immunity booster treatments to help treat the Nipah Virus.

Prevention of Nipah Virus

Since there is no cure for Nipah Virus, it can be prevented by practising hygienic habits like washing hands regularly with soap and water and avoiding bats that are sick and are known to be roosting in an area and pigs who are sick. You should also avoid eating foods that could be contaminated by bats or other animals. Date palm sap, raw fruits or fruits that were found on the ground should be avoided.

Conclusion

Nipah Virus, NiV is a zoonotic virus spread by the Fruit Bats or Flying Foxes. These bats are also the carriers of other infections like the Hendra Virus. Nipah’s symptoms are similar to Sars-CoV; fever, headache, sore throat, coughing, and difficulty breathing. The symptoms can be mild to severe and fatal if you develop fatal symptoms like encephalitis. There are no Nipah vaccines, so the only treatment is practising supportive care such as resting and hydrating as much as possible and using immunity booster medicines like ramdesivir. Nipah Virus affects animals and people; it is transmitted through the bodily fluids of an infected animal or person.