Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus, for which the primary reservoirs are bats and pigs. Transmission can also occur through contaminated food or directly from person to person. It belongs to a family of viruses that also includes Hendra virus, another bat-borne virus that cause lethal infection in horses and humans. The natural hosts of the virus are Pteropus fruit bats, commonly known as flying foxes.

 

Nipah disease symptoms begin 5 to 14 days after infection and initially include fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting and sore throat. The disease then progresses rapidly, causing a combination of brain inflammation (encephalitis) and serious respiratory problems such as pneumonia. Patients who recover can suffer long-term neurological conditions, including seizures and personality changes. Initial diagnosis is difficult because the early signs and symptoms are non-specific.

 

Nipah virus was first identified in 1999 during an outbreak of illness affecting pig farmers and others having close contact with pigs in Malaysia and Singapore.