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Publications

Journal Article Review Epublish

PubMed: 42306106 DOI: 10.53854/liim-3402-6

Nipah virus infection: what clinicians need to know.

Infez Med 34(2):164-176

Authors: Nitin Gupta, Shreya Das Adhikari, Mukund Gupta, Sonali Singh, Tirlangi Praveen Kumar, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales, Carl Boodman

Affiliations

  • Department of Infectious Disease, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
  • Department of Anaesthesiology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
  • All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India.
  • Division of Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  • Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru.
  • Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas- Institución Universitaria Visión de las Américas, Pereira, Colombia.
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Abstract

Nipah virus infection is an uncommon but highly lethal zoonotic illness that primarily presents with acute encephalitis and respiratory disease in humans. After its initial identification during the Malaysia-Singapore outbreak of 1998-1999, human outbreaks have since been reported in Bangladesh and India. Despite the relatively small number of reported cases, the Nipah virus remains a major clinical and public health concern because of its high mortality, capacity for person-to-person transmission, lack of approved antiviral treatment, and potential for amplification within healthcare settings. For clinicians, the major challenge lies in early recognition of a disease that initially presents with nonspecific febrile symptoms but may rapidly progress to severe encephalitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or both. Human-to-human transmission has been well documented in South Asian outbreaks, particularly in household and healthcare settings, underscoring the importance of prompt isolation and infection prevention measures. Laboratory confirmation relies primarily on reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, with serology providing supportive evidence later in the course of illness. Management remains largely supportive, with intensive care often required in severe cases. This review provides a practical clinician-oriented overview of Nipah virus infection, focusing on epidemiology relevant to frontline practice, clinical presentation, transmission, diagnostic approach, infection control, treatment, prognosis, and outbreak response.

MeSH

Disease Outbreaks, Henipavirus Infections, Nipah Virus, Viruses, Diagnosis, Therapeutics, Encephalitis, Infections, Virus Diseases