Nipah Virus: Through a Pandemic Lens

Nipah virus is an emerging, highly pathogenic virus belonging to the genus Henipavirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. It is a zoonotic virus; fruit bats are its natural reservoir. It was first discovered when it caused the 1998–1999 outbreak in pigs—which were the intermediate hosts, and humans, in Malaysia and Singapore. However, in Bangladesh and India where subsequent outbreaks have predominantly occurred, there has been no involvement of an intermediate host, and human-to-human transmission has been reported as well. In humans, the infection may cause acute respiratory disease and fatal encephalitis. Currently, no licensed vaccines or treatments are available. This chapter describes various aspects of the Nipah virus, emphasizes its significance as a public health threat and the importance of the one health approach in combating the disease.