The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen
Abstract The Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly virulent zoonotic infectious agent that poses a significant threat to public health. The virus is characterized by its pleomorphic structure and a single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome. It encodes six structural proteins and three nonstructural proteins...
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BMC
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Virology Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-025-02728-4 |
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| author | Arindam Ganguly Saptarshi Mahapatra Shibsankar Ray Sayantan Chattopadhyay Md. Jabiul Islam Sathi Garai Tapas Kumar Dutta Manasi Chattaraj Sourav Chattaraj |
| author_facet | Arindam Ganguly Saptarshi Mahapatra Shibsankar Ray Sayantan Chattopadhyay Md. Jabiul Islam Sathi Garai Tapas Kumar Dutta Manasi Chattaraj Sourav Chattaraj |
| author_sort | Arindam Ganguly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly virulent zoonotic infectious agent that poses a significant threat to public health. The virus is characterized by its pleomorphic structure and a single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome. It encodes six structural proteins and three nonstructural proteins. Attachment glycoproteins play a crucial role in allowing the virus to attach to the host cell surface. The matrix protein facilitates the encapsidation of the viral genome and proteins, enabling the formation of mature viral particles. The virus can spread via different routes, including zoonotic spillover and human-to-human transmission. Clinical manifestations include mild respiratory illness and severe and fatal encephalitis. The case fatality rate of Nipah virus infection varies widely, ranging from 40 to 75%, and is regulated by factors such as healthcare availability and quality, the patient's condition, and the virulence of the infecting strain. NiV has been reported in Malaysia, Bangladesh, and India, with fruit bats serving as natural reservoirs. Early detection and prompt response are crucial for controlling outbreaks; however, these efforts are hindered by diagnostic challenges and delayed recognition. The World Health Organization has categorized NiV as a priority pathogen owing to its epidemic potential, recurrent outbreaks, and alarming mortality rates. The persistent transmission dynamics and genetic stability of the Nipah virus among fruit bats require immediate attention and coordinated global action. The present study reviews the epidemiology, clinical features, and modes of transmission of Nipah virus infection, its geographical distribution, and endemic regions, highlighting the challenges in managing disease outbreaks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-61ecfe33f0af4cb8ae65aa2a7e6e12f9 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1743-422X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virology Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-61ecfe33f0af4cb8ae65aa2a7e6e12f92025-08-20T01:49:42ZengBMCVirology Journal1743-422X2025-05-0122111110.1186/s12985-025-02728-4The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogenArindam Ganguly0Saptarshi Mahapatra1Shibsankar Ray2Sayantan Chattopadhyay3Md. Jabiul Islam4Sathi Garai5Tapas Kumar Dutta6Manasi Chattaraj7Sourav Chattaraj8Department of Microbiology, Bankura Sammilani CollegeDepartment of Microbiology, Bankura Sammilani CollegeDepartment of Microbiology, Bankura Sammilani CollegeDepartment of Microbiology, Bankura Sammilani CollegeDepartment of Microbiology, Bankura Sammilani CollegeDepartment of Microbiology, Bankura Sammilani CollegeDepartment of Zoology, Bankura Sammilani CollegeDepartment of Geography, Bankura UniversityCentre for Industrial Biotechnology Research, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be UniversityAbstract The Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly virulent zoonotic infectious agent that poses a significant threat to public health. The virus is characterized by its pleomorphic structure and a single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome. It encodes six structural proteins and three nonstructural proteins. Attachment glycoproteins play a crucial role in allowing the virus to attach to the host cell surface. The matrix protein facilitates the encapsidation of the viral genome and proteins, enabling the formation of mature viral particles. The virus can spread via different routes, including zoonotic spillover and human-to-human transmission. Clinical manifestations include mild respiratory illness and severe and fatal encephalitis. The case fatality rate of Nipah virus infection varies widely, ranging from 40 to 75%, and is regulated by factors such as healthcare availability and quality, the patient's condition, and the virulence of the infecting strain. NiV has been reported in Malaysia, Bangladesh, and India, with fruit bats serving as natural reservoirs. Early detection and prompt response are crucial for controlling outbreaks; however, these efforts are hindered by diagnostic challenges and delayed recognition. The World Health Organization has categorized NiV as a priority pathogen owing to its epidemic potential, recurrent outbreaks, and alarming mortality rates. The persistent transmission dynamics and genetic stability of the Nipah virus among fruit bats require immediate attention and coordinated global action. The present study reviews the epidemiology, clinical features, and modes of transmission of Nipah virus infection, its geographical distribution, and endemic regions, highlighting the challenges in managing disease outbreaks.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-025-02728-4Geographical distributionMortalityNipah virusOutbreaksTransmissionZoonotic |
| spellingShingle | Arindam Ganguly Saptarshi Mahapatra Shibsankar Ray Sayantan Chattopadhyay Md. Jabiul Islam Sathi Garai Tapas Kumar Dutta Manasi Chattaraj Sourav Chattaraj The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen Virology Journal Geographical distribution Mortality Nipah virus Outbreaks Transmission Zoonotic |
| title | The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen |
| title_full | The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen |
| title_fullStr | The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen |
| title_full_unstemmed | The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen |
| title_short | The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen |
| title_sort | rising threat of nipah virus a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen |
| topic | Geographical distribution Mortality Nipah virus Outbreaks Transmission Zoonotic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-025-02728-4 |
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