Preventing the Re-emergence of Deadly Nipah Virus

Abstract

The Indo-Bangladesh region frequently suffers from periodic Nipah virus (NiV) outbreaks. NiV is a zoonotic agent that can be transmitted from animals to humans and also from humans to humans. NiV infections may cause deadly neurological dysfunctions with a fatality rate of up to 75%. Various methods have been developed to diagnose NiV infections at different stages of the disease, but there is currently no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine available. NiV outbreaks are mostly endemic; however, the high susceptibility of the human population, high mutation rates of the viral RNA genome and the possibility of human-to-human transmission in this era of globalization enable NiV to potentially cause a pandemic. To prevent serious consequences of NiV outbreaks, international deliberation on risk assessment, investigation of the molecular and genetic aspects of NiV, pertinent measures of surveillance and framing of general guidelines for its management should be integrated. This review underlines the basic information available in the literature and its application for further research to reach a solution for mitigation of such catastrophic infections.