The Nipah virus is spread by bats and pigs. May cause fever, convulsions, and vomiting.

The Nipah virus could cause another deadly epidemic, warns one of the inventors of the Covid vaccine from AstraZeneca, euronews. “If a delta-type Nipah virus emerged, it would suddenly encounter a highly contagious virus with a 50 per cent mortality rate,” said Ms Sarah Gilbert at the Cheltenham Festival of Literature in the UK.

Nipah virus by its scientific name Nipah Hanniba virus A virus found in bats infects humans and other animals. Its presence is not new, it has already caused several epidemics in South and Southeast Asia. It erupted in September 2021 in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala, placing a huge burden on local health authorities in parallel with the COVID-19 epidemic. According to the World Health Organization, countries with certain species of bats are most at risk, along with India, Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Madagascar, the Philippines and Thailand.

It can also cause completely asymptomatic infection, mild or severe respiratory symptoms, and fatal encephalitis in humans. Initially, fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, and sore throat indicate infection. This may be followed by dizziness, lethargy, altered state of consciousness, and neurological symptoms suggestive of encephalitis. There is no vaccine against it yet.