Why in News? 

Palakkad and Malappuram districts in Kerala have strengthened medical surveillance after new Nipah virus cases were reported. 383 people are under observation and ICU and isolation facilities have been set up to manage a possible surge in cases. 

Nipah Virus (NiV)  

• Nature 
  • Nipah is a zoonotic RNA virus from the Paramyxoviridae family, Henipavirus genus. 
  • Closely related to the Hendra virus. 
• Transmission 
  • Primary hosts: Fruit bats (genus Pteropus). 
  • Spread through bat urine, saliva, faeces and birthing fluids. 
  • Also transmitted via infected animals (pigs, dogs, cats, goats, etc.), contaminated food, or human-to-human contact. 

• Fatality: Case fatality rate ranges from 40% to 75%, depending on outbreak response. 
• Symptoms: Causes encephalitis with signs like fever, headache, drowsiness, confusion, coma and in severe cases, death. 
• Diagnosis: Confirmed using RT-PCR (from bodily fluids) or ELISA (antibody detection). 
• Prevention 
  • No vaccines available for humans or animals. 
  • Focus remains on surveillance, isolation and supportive care. 
• WHO Classification: Listed by WHO as a priority disease due to its high fatality and potential for outbreaks.