Articles

The Nipah virus is a newly discovered zoonotic paramyxovirus belonging to the genus Henipavirus, which leads to encephalitis and severe respiratory illnesses in people. Fruit bats are the natural reservoir, allowing for frequent spillover to domestic animals and humans because of their widespread distribution throughout South and Southeast Asia, Oceania, and portions of Africa. The epidemiology, clinical characteristics, transmission dynamics, and healthcare response to Nipah virus outbreaks are reviewed in this article. The lack of approved vaccines or particular antivirals in spite of encouraging candidates in animal models and early trials, the scarcity of genetic data from multiple impacted areas, and the requirement for coordinated surveillance at the human–animal–environment interface are further gaps that are highlighted in this article.