While the world is focusing on coronaviruses,
SARS-COV2/Covid-19 and all of it's variants,
there's a more sinister coronavirus called
the Nipah Virus. The death rate for Nipah,
runs at between 40% and 75% of those infected.
There is NO vaccine.
There is NO CURE.


http://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210106-nipah-virus-how-bats-could-cause-the-next-pandemic

Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus, meaning that it can spread between animals and people. Fruit bats, also called flying foxes, are the animal reservoir for NiV in nature. Nipah virus is also known to cause illness in pigs and people. Infection with NiV is associated with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death. Outbreaks occur almost annually in parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India.

Nipah virus infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in areas where the virus is present, and not drinking raw date palm sap which can be contaminated by an infected bat. During an outbreak, standard infection control practices can help prevent person-to-person spread in hospital settings.
~ https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/nipah/index.html


Nipah virus infection in humans causes a range of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic infection (subclinical) to acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis.
The case fatality rate is estimated at 40% to 75%. This rate can vary by outbreak depending on local capabilities for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management.
Nipah virus can be transmitted to humans from animals (such as bats or pigs), or contaminated foods and can also be transmitted directly from human-to-human.
Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the natural host of Nipah virus.
There is no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals. The primary treatment for humans is supportive care.
The 2018 annual review of the WHO R&D Blueprint list of priority diseases indicates that there is an urgent need for accelerated research and development for the Nipah virus.
~ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/nipah-virus

What Are the Symptoms of Nipah Virus?

Some people with Nipah virus are asymptomatic, which means they don’t notice any signs at all.

Other cases can be more serious. Symptoms of Nipah virus usually show up within 4 to 14 days of exposure and include:

Fever
Headache
Cough
Sore throat
Trouble breathing
Vomiting

These may be followed by seizures and encephalitis, or brain swelling, which causes problems like disorientation, drowsiness, and confusion. Within 24 to 48 hours, the person may go into a coma.

The virus is deadly in an estimated 40% to 75% of cases. The severity of an outbreak depends on how well the affected area manages its cases.

In some people, the virus can cause dormant or latent infections. This means symptoms or death could happen months or even years after contact with the virus.

Most people with Nipah who survive encephalitis make a full recovery. Some may have long-term side effects such as convulsions or personality changes.

How Does Nipah Virus Spread?

Infected fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the animal host for this virus. The bats can spread it to other animals, such as pigs, horses, goats, sheep, cats, and dogs. And those animals -- or the bats themselves -- can give it to people.

Once there’s an initial infection from animal to human, human-to-human transmission is possible.

Nipah virus spreads through:

Direct contact with infected animals or the fluids from their bodies (like blood, pee, or saliva)
Food contaminated with infected animals’ body fluids
Close contact with an infected person or their body fluids (like nasal or respiratory droplets, pee, or blood)

The 1999 Nipah outbreak affected pigs and humans. Nearly 300 people were infected, and more than 100 died.

The first known outbreak happened in Malaysia and Singapore in 1999. Now, outbreaks are common in other parts of Asia, like Bangladesh and India.
~ https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/nipah-virus-what-to-know

The main consolation with this virus is it's transmission rate, it's more like Ebola in that it's much less contagious than Covid, though exponentially more fatal.

Covid was so lethal because it's roughly twice is contagious as the Flu, making it very difficult to contain, but Nipah appears to be much less threatening in that sense.

God save us

I don't have confirmation yet...
But, I've heard the Nipah Virus
has taken more than 115,000 lives
this year alone in Thailand.

This is a bad one.

it has been around for over 20 years, and is not deemed as a major threat.
they are just watching it more closely now, because of covid.




https://www.upi.com/Voices/2021/10/29/Nipah-virus-next-pandemic/9191635509404/

https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/nipah/pdf/factsheet.pdf

I have known about this virus for sometime and have been keeping an eye on developments . It is so fatal that one single case is considered an outbreak . Transmission may not be comparable with covid but given the right circumstances this pathogen could become more virulent . I remember at the time it happened , reading about the young 12 year old who died in India from encephalitis associated with Nipah ..so very sad

http://www.google.co.nz/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/nipah-virus-outbreak-india-kerala/


a statement from WHO ...

“The World Health Organization classifies it as a "virus of concern" for future epidemics because "each year it spills over from its animal reservoir into humans,"

But the virus is not as transmissible as some other viruses. "There are occasional Nipah superspreaders who infect a lot of people," says Luby. "But the average transmission rate is less than one person per infection.
"However, each time a person is infected, the virus is in an environment that selects for human adaptation and transmissibility. The risk is that a new strain that is more efficiently transmitted person to person could generate a devastating outbreak. Indeed, since 70% of people who are infected with Nipah virus die, such a strain could represent the worst pandemic humanity has ever faced."


Why the world should be worried ...

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/09/12/1035571714/why-the-world-should-be-more-than-a-bit-worried-about-indias-nipah-virus-outbrea


Article from GAVI ...The global alliance for vaccines and immunisations ...
http://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/next-pandemic/nipah-virus

Stay Safe and Take Care Of Health