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The encephalitis virus Nipah is more lethal than the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. A mutation of this pathogen could give rise to another pandemic, much worse than the current one, writes The Sun, citing warnings by scientists. “Several points about the Nipah virus are very worrying,” the researchers say. What exactly do they mean? And what is known about the Nipah virus?
- The Nipah virus is not new, but more and more researchers are pointing out that it could become a serious threat, or even another pandemic
- Scientists are concerned, among others, by high mortality rate, ranging from 45 to 75 percent.
- What should you know about this virus?
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Nipah virus among the potentially most dangerous germs that could cause pandemics
The world is still struggling with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, which has so far infected nearly 112 million people and caused nearly 2,5 million deaths. Meanwhile, some scientists warn against another global epidemic – caused by a strain of the Nipah virus, a pathogen that a few years ago the World Health Organization (WHO) listed among the 10 potentially most dangerous germs that could cause pandemics.
– Nipah is one of the viruses that could absolutely be causing a new pandemic Dr. Rebecca Dutch of the University of Kentucky’s Department of Molecular and Cell Biochemistry, quoted today by The Sun, says today.
The Nipah virus belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family, which also includes the measles, mumps and parainfluenza viruses. It is mainly transmitted through direct contact with infected bats or pigs and their secretions. The virus can also spread from person to person. To prevent human contamination with the Nipah virus, more than a million pigs were killed in Malaysia which were believed to be infected.
The virus causes inflammation of the brain. The main symptoms are fever and headaches lasting 3-14 days, and excessive sleepiness, confusion and confusion. Although the Nipah virus was first identified 20 years ago, there is no effective causal treatment – only symptoms are treated.
The Nipah virus is not a new pathogen – it was identified in 1997 after an epidemic in Malaysia (its name actually comes from one of the local villages – Sungai Nipah). There were then 265 cases of acute encephalitis associated with pig farms. Initially, the patients were suspected of having Japanese encephalitis, but after detailed examination, the disease was identified as infection with the Nipah virus. Since then, in the years 2000-2020, there were small outbreaks of this infection every year, incl. in Malaysia, India, Northern Australia.
Scholars pay attention to high death rate for the Nipah virus – it ranges from 45 to 75 percent. – it is therefore much higher than in the SARS-CoV-2 cases.
But why could a virus with such a high death rate have such a high pandemic potential? Usually, diseases such as this kill their hosts too quickly, which reduces the chances of spreading the infection and therefore limits the pandemic potential. “Several things about the Nipah virus are very worrying,” admits Dr. Dutch. What exactly?
Nipah virus at source of another pandemic? What worries scientists
One of the concerns is the long incubation time of the Nipah virus. The WHO reports that it can be as long as 45 days – which allows for an extremely long transfer period. After the incubation is over, the first symptoms appear: headaches, fever, vomiting. The symptoms are not specific and can easily be confused with other illnesses such as the flu.
Another point raised by scientists is the extremely high mutation rate of the Nipah virus. There is therefore a risk that a strain better suited to spreading among humans will be produced. – Many viruses in the same family as Nipah, such as measles, spread well between people. There is therefore a concern that there may be a variant of Nipah with increased transmission, Dr. Rebecca Dutch warned in an interview with «The Sun».
Dr. Jonathan Epstein, from the EcoHealth Alliance (a non-governmental organization that protects people, animals and the environment against emerging infectious diseases), speaks in a similar vein. So far, the Nipah virus is spreading in close contact with an infected person, and we generally don’t see large chains of transmission. However, there may be a strain better suited to spreading to humans, he says. – Nipah is a zoonotic door knocking virus. We must do everything possible to understand when there is the greatest risk of transmission in humans and try to limit these possibilities so that the pathogen does not have a chance to increase infectivity.
Dr. Melanie Saville: A future pandemic is inevitable
Dr. Melanie Saville, director of vaccine research and development at Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI, a foundation supporting independent research projects to develop vaccines against new infectious diseases) emphasizes that Nipah is not the only threat. – We know that a future pandemic is inevitable and that there are many other infectious diseases that have pandemic potential – said «The Sun».
- The reckless progress of civilization will lead the world to a catastrophe. another pandemic waiting for us?
As he notes, the threat comes from known diseases, such as influenza, and from new or yet unidentified pathogens. – The ongoing environmental changes, such as global warming, the destruction of animal habitats and the intrusion of humans into previously isolated areas, have created a ‘fertile space’ for viruses, including conditions for the transfer between species. Therefore, we must be prepared for the next pandemic.
- What is a pandemic? The greatest pandemics in history
As Melanie Saville points out, CEPI is working on creating a base of prototype vaccines that could target all coronaviruses. She added that they will build on the experience of the current COVID-19 pandemic and thus try to eliminate the risk of a future pandemic.
But experts are concerned that pharmaceutical companies are not doing enough to create vaccines for the next pandemic. An example is the lack of drugs and vaccines specific to the Nipah virus. However, it must not be forgotten that the next pandemic may very well come from a pathogen as yet unknown to us. Therefore, everything should be done to control zoonoses.
According to the EcoHealth Alliance, out of 1,67 million unidentified viruses on Earth, as many as 827. it can spread from animals to humans. In a study published in Nature Communications, Southeast Asia, South and Central Africa, areas around the Amazon and eastern Australia were identified as having the highest risk of developing new diseases.
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