Nipah virus disease

Nipah disease is a zoonotic disease that is triggered by the Nipah virus and has only recently been discovered.

The endemic lesion has an incubation period of about 4-20 days, which is characterized by typical symptoms such as fever, malaise, headache, sore throat, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes dizziness and disorientation. In severe cases, encephalitis develops with cramps and coma.  Also documented, are atypical pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome, as well as symptom-free infections. In some cases, several weeks or months after healing, reflux was noted. In about 20% of the survivors, neurological sequelae such as persistent seizures, personality and mood changes occur.

The virus belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae of the genus Henipavirus. Patients become infected by direct contact with the saliva or excrements of fruit bats, which are the natural host of the virus. Often, the disease is also transmitted through contact with contaminated food, such as palm juice. Also, transmission via intermediaries such as pigs developing respiratory diseases is possible. The transmission from human to human takes place through contact with body fluids.

Whether encephalitic or severe symptoms are identifiable and whether appropriate medical care is available affects the mortality rate, which varies between 40% and 70%. Advanced age, neurological symptoms, and diabetes also have a negative impact on the prognosis.