Nipah Virus and its Outbreaks in Tropical Areas

Nipah virus is an emerging zoonosis with the potential to cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans. This virus escaped obscurity as a nameless animal virus and assured a place for itself in the annals of history as most fatal virus by killing a large number of people and bringing down billion dollar swine industry in Malaysia within shorts span of time. Nipah virus is an enveloped negative-strand RNA paramyxovirus. The natural reservoir for this virus is ‘flying fox’ fruit bats. The virus caused an outbreak of severe febrile encephalitis in humans with a high mortality rate. Nipah virus provides one of the most striking examples of an emerging virus and illustrates many of the pathways leading from a wildlife reservoir to human infections. This review will provides the background of the emergence of Nipah virus, symptoms, pathogenesis &pathology, prevention, control, and treatment.