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Nipah virus (NiV) infection is zoonotic disease (disease transmitted to humans from animals) that causes severe disease in both animals and humans.
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The organism which causes Nipah Virus encephalitis is RNA or Ribonucleic acid virus of family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus, and is closely related to Hendra virus.
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Fruit bats or flying foxes of Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus are natural host of Nipah virus.
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The virus is present in bat urine and potentially, bat faeces, saliva, and birthing fluids.
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It was first identified in 1999 during outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore.
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It gets its name from Sungai Nipah, a Malaysian village, where pig farmers became ill with encephalitis.
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Transmission:
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The virus spread fast and is mostly fatal.
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Infected bats shed virus in their excretion and secretion.
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The virus cannot be transmitted through air.
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But it is transmitted through direct contact with infected bats, pigs.
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Human to Human transmission from other NiV-infected people is also reported
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Symptoms:
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NiV infection can cause acute respiratory syndrome, breathing trouble, inflammation of the brain, fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation and delirium.
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Patient can slip into coma within 48 hours.
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The mortality rate of patients infected with it is reportedly 70%.
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It is capable of causing diseases in domestic animals too.
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Treatment:
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There is no vaccine for disease either for humans or animals.
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The main treatment for those infected is intensive supportive care and supportive medicines.
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In disease prone areas, fruits strewn on the ground should not be eaten, for safety.