The existence of the Nipah virus runs as far back as 1998 when it was discovered first among pig farmers in Northern peninsular Malaysia. It is a highly virulent single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the paramyxoviridae family.
Apart from its emergence in the '90s, it has also resulted in several epidemics since 2001 in different countries like; Singapore, India, and Bangladesh to mention just a few.
The natural hosts for Nipah virus (NiV) are fruit bats, they are also called megabats, and they belong to the pteropodidae family, especially the ones of the pteropus genus.
Natural infection in domestic animals has been noticed amongst pigs, domestic cats and dogs, as well as horses. There is a possibility of intra-specie and inter-specie types of transmission.
The intra-specie mode of transmission is from human to human, or through pig to pig. While the inter-specie transmission mode on the other hand is a transmission between horse to human, pig to human, and bat to human.
When outbreaks happen in pigs, the only method of saving is usually through, restricting movement, isolation, or killing the animal affected. Apart from to human-to-human mode of transmission of this infection, humans can also get it through the consumption of food.
The incubation phase for Nipah virus is often within 4-14 days, with pigs being the highly infectious ones during this period. Other animals that can be affected are horses, goats, cats, and horses.
Nipah virus (NiV) affects pigs a lot, it is highly contagious. The majority of infection rates are asymptomatic in pigs but in a symptomatic case, there is a displayed sign of labored breathing, acute fever, muscle spasms, trembling, and twitching.
Sows sometimes show signs of neurological disease, but there is a strong possibility of sudden death without any displayed signs.
Early detection of the Nipah virus in affected pigs is highly important, as it will help reduce the possibility of infecting humans.
Nipah virus infection in humans could be asymptomatic, or it could produce a spectrum of clinical manifestations in the form of fever, vomiting, and muscle pain. It could go as deep as the display of chronic neurological symptoms or recurring encephalitis.
After the first occurrence of the infection in Malaysia in t998, different factors have been known to cause the spread.
Land-use change is the first reason, leading to loss of habitat, encroachment of pig farms into remnant habits, and local farming practices of planting fruit trees close to pig sheds.
Subsequently, asymptomatic pigs were carried to other regions for trade, therefore giving room for the proper spread of the virus.
During the Bangladesh and India outbreaks, the primary source of infection for humans was found to be through the consumption of date palm sap that has been contaminated with the saliva and urine of infected fruit bats.
Experts have not been able to find a good treatment for the Nipah virus, but during an infection that has been confirmed, the spread of the virus can be controlled through the control of animal movements, quarantining the affected environment, culling pigs, and burning properly the infected carcass.
