A Comprehensive Review on Nipah Virus Infection: Classification, Epidemiology, Treatment and Prevention

After being identified as a Paramyxoviridae member in 1999, NiV has been linked to encephalitis epidemics in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and India. NiV has a case-fatality rate of 100% and can cause fever encephalitis and severe respiratory disease in people. In addition to supportive care, there are no authorised vaccinations or therapies. Histopathology, IgG/IgM/antigen ELISA, immunofluorescence assay, nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), viral isolation, and neutralisation testing are among the laboratory tests used to detect NiV. According to research done with thermal sensors, P. giganteus bats use date palm sap plants and consume the sap as it is being gathered. Nipah virus is believed to be the next pandemic agent, and Corona virus safety measures have helped to reduce its spread in Kerala. It is a respiratory illness that does not cause loss of taste or smell, but has a high death rate (40-45%). NiV patients have highest infectious potential during symptomatic phases, and exposure to the bodily fluids of infected individuals appears to be a viable route for human-to-human transmission. NiV epidemics are highly effective due to their rapid transmission through nosocomial and zoonotic mechanisms. Ribavirin was considered as the first antiviral medication which is used in the treatment of NiV, but ribavirin decreased mortality toll by 36%. Clinical studies with the purine analogue favipirivir (T-705) blocking RNA-dependent RNA polymerase have been conducted for the treatment of Ebola, and different influenza antiviral medications have also demonstrated effectiveness against NiV in Syrian hamster animal models. Preclinical research has demonstrated full protection.