Five things you need to know about Nipah virus

The Nipah virus (NiV) remains a critical global health concern due to its high pathogenicity and lack of specialized treatment, leading the World Health Organization to classify it as a priority disease for urgent research. A zoonotic pathogen primarily harbored by fruit bats, the virus can jump to humans through infected livestock or contaminated food, with documented cases of direct human-to-human transmission. Infections present a severe clinical spectrum, ranging from asymptomatic cases to fatal encephalitis and acute respiratory distress, carrying an estimated mortality rate between 40 and 75 percent. Beyond the human toll, NiV outbreaks pose a significant threat to the agricultural sector by inducing severe disease in livestock and necessitating localized response strategies.

Credit : CGTN