Once the disease has spread to humans, it can be transmitted person to person.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the disease spreads:
If a person or animal has contact with the bodily fluids, blood, urine, saliva or faeces of an infected animal.
If a person eats foods contaminated by an infected animal.
If people are in close contact with someone who has Nipah virus, typically while caring for them.
What are the symptoms of the Nipah virus?
When humans develop symptoms, they usually display a range of flu-like symptoms. These tend to appear within 4 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
Due to this, people often spread the disease, unaware that they have even contracted it. This includes having a fever, headaches, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and a sore throat.
However, this can progress and become more serious, with further symptoms like dizziness, drowsiness, slurred speech, seizures, coma and respiratory distress.
The most serious complication is often what makes it so deadly. It is known as the neurological complication called encephalitis, which is the swelling of the brain and can prove to be fatal.
Individuals who survive acute encephalitis make a full recovery, but long-term neurologic conditions have been reported in survivors, according to the WHO.
Update 01/28/26: Following publication of this article, authorities in India performed more tests and have now reported that only two cases of Nipah virus have been confirmed. Previously, the government stated there were five cases.
Symptoms of the deadly Nipah virus in India, which has seen several airports reinstate health screening protocols reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been revealed.
Health officials across the globe are on high alert due to the virus’ significant fatality rate and the lack of available treatment.
The alarm was first raised in early January, after it was confirmed that five people in West Bengal, India, had contracted the illness.
Speaking to The Telegraph about two of those who have been affected, Narayan Swaroop Nigam, the principal secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, said: « Two nurses at a private hospital are infected with Nipah virus, and one of them is in critical condition. »
The two nurses in question were on duty together at the hospital between December 28 and 30. Shortly after they both fell unwell and were admitted to intensive care on January 4.According to The Independent, around 100 people were being quarantined as of January 26.
With five cases now confirmed, Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan have all increased their precautionary measures at airports similar to steps that were enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This includes temperature checks, masking, and maintaining a safe distance to try and avoid the spread of the disease.
What are the symptoms of Nipah virus?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), patients infected with the Nipah virus typically develop a sudden flu-like illness marked by fever, headache, muscle pain and fatigue.
In some cases, respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or pneumonia can also occur.
The most serious complication of Nipah, and often what makes it so deadly, is a neurological complication called encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain.
This can trigger numerous neurological symptoms including confusion, altered consciousness, seizures or even a coma.
The incubation period between infection and showing symptoms is usually around four to 21 days, but neurological symptoms typically appear several days to weeks after the initial onset of illness.What exactly is the Nipah virus?
The Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus, meaning it jumps from animals (specifically fruit bats and pigs) to humans.
It can also spread through contaminated food or direct person-to-person contact.
Unlike coronavirus, which had a global mortality rate of around 3.4%, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the fatality rate of Nipah to sit at around 40% to 75% – making it an extremely dangerous infection to those that contract it.
Crucially, there are also currently no vaccines or specific drugs approved to treat the infection in humans or animals.
Thailand has announced a flurry of new measures, similar to those seen during the Covid-19 pandemic in the hope of preventing an outbreak of the Nipah virus.
After India announced there had been two cases of the disease in West Bengal since December, several countries are taking immediate precautions to stop the virus spreading.
The Nipah virus has been recognized since 1999 following an outbreak in Malysia. Most concerningly, while the disease isn’t new, there is limited treatment and no cure.
On top of this, it has a high fatality rate of 40-75 percent.
While the disease primarily spreads through bats, it can also spread through pigs and other animals such as goats, horses, dogs, or cats, according to the World Health Organization.Once the disease has spread to humans, it can be transmitted person to person.
These facts likely tie into the seriousness with which Nepal, Taiwan and Thailand are responding to the virus.
Thailand has stepped up their preventative measures at major airports, according to reports, screening some 1,700 travelers.
Thankfully, no infections have been found so far.
The screenings were focused on passengers traveling from West Bengal and the nation is aware that many of these travelers enter the country through the Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket airports.
According to a Nation Thailand report, some of the measures introduced at airports include ensuring that travelers from ‘risk areas’ must complete a health declaration form and those with a fever must present a medical certificate showing they are fit to fly.
As well as this, aircraft sanitation inspections will be conducted for every flight from outbreak areas. If a suspected case is found, the aircraft must be disinfected before operating its next flight.
And dedicated parking bays have been assigned for aircraft arriving from Nipah outbreak areas. They will also have designated screening areas, isolation rooms and potentially a different baggage handling procedure.Health officials from the country are ‘fairly confident’ the measures will sufficiently prevent an outbreak in the country.
Thailand’s public health minister Phatthana Phromphat has spoken about how the country hopes to successfully deal with the disease.
According to an Independent report, he has said: “If there’s a suspected case at an airport, the person will be quarantined and the results of a relevant test will be known in eight hours. »
He has also explained that the way the Nipah virus is transmitted can put them in a better position than when they had to deal with Covid-19.
He added: “The transmission of Nipah virus is not like that of Covid. Even though they may be asymptomatic, Covid-infected people can transmit the virus.
“For Nipah, infected people will not transmit it as long as they do not have any symptoms.”
