Deadly Nipah virus from India lacks cure, doctors warn
A new outbreak of the Nipah virus has been recorded in India — a rare but deadly infection for which there are no vaccines or specific treatments. The disease can be asymptomatic, but in severe cases leads to brain inflammation, coma, and death. How the Nipah virus manifests, whether it can be cured, and if it could spread to Russia — in the material from MSK1.RU.
What is known about the Nipah virus
The Nipah virus is a zoonotic infection: it is transmitted to humans from animals. The main carriers are considered to be bats and pigs. Infection is possible both through contact with animals or contaminated food, and from person to person.
«This is a virus characteristic specifically of tropical regions. It can cause various kinds of diseases, including encephalitis — inflammation of the brain. But overall, outbreaks occur in Southeast Asian countries,» infectious disease specialist Elena Meskina told MSK1.RU.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also reports that there are no drugs or vaccines for either humans or animals. Infected individuals receive only symptomatic care.
The Nipah virus was first identified in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia. Later, cases were recorded in Bangladesh, and in recent years, outbreaks regularly occur in India. In 2024, two people died from the infection in this region.
In January, the Nipah virus was detected in the Indian state of West Bengal — near Kolkata. The disease was confirmed in five people, three of whom were hospitalized.
All those infected are healthcare workers. Two of them work in a private hospital in the city of Barasat and are in the intensive care unit, their condition assessed as extremely serious. The other patients are showing improvement, reported the newspaper The Economic Times.
In addition, about 100 people in West Bengal were sent into home quarantine, with 30 of them under enhanced medical observation.
Symptoms
In humans, the disease can progress in different ways — from asymptomatic form to severe respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis. The incubation period varies from four to 45 days.
At an early stage, infected individuals develop high fever, headache and muscle pain, vomiting, and sore throat. Then, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and other neurological symptoms may occur. Some patients develop atypical pneumonia and respiratory failure.
In severe cases, the disease leads to encephalitis and seizures, and the condition can progress to coma in just one to two days. The mortality rate, according to various estimates, ranges from 40% to 75%.
Most patients who survive acute encephalitis fully recover over time. However, about 20% face residual neurological impairments — seizure disorders and personality changes. In rare cases, relapses or the development of encephalitis some time after recovery are possible.
Does the Nipah virus threaten Russia
Scientific director of the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology (NRCEM) named after N. F. Gamaleya of the Russian Ministry of Health, Alexander Gintsburg, believes that the virus could be imported into Russia because it has now become more widespread. He noted that Nipah could appear in countries neighboring India, from where tourists and workers arrive.
«Russia is precisely one of such countries, as we know, especially now, when the human flow from India to us and back is increasing,» Gintsburg stated.
Meanwhile, infectious disease specialist Elena Meskina considers the spread of the virus in Russia to be unlikely. In a conversation with MSK1.RU, she noted that Nipah is a classical virus for tropical regions.
«It belongs to the paramyxoviruses, representatives of which also circulate in our territory. But as far as I know, infection occurs mainly from bats,» Meskina noted.
The doctor reminded that infection with the virus is associated with contact with animals. According to her, if these contacts are minimized, then the risks of spread decrease. But despite the fact that Nipah is transmitted from animal to human, the risk that the disease is transmitted from human to human is not excluded.
«This cannot be completely ruled out, but overall it is quite unlikely. Because this is a classical imported virus. That is, for it to be transmitted to a human, certain conditions must be met. Therefore, the emergence of outbreaks in our climate is very unlikely. After all, this is a virus for warm countries,» Elena Meskina explained to MSK1.RU.
The doctor added that in Russia there are various methods for detecting viruses. For example, at state borders, the AIS «Perimeter» system operates. It allows real-time identification of those who show signs of illness and prevents the spread of viruses, reported Rospotrebnadzor (Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing). The agency added that there have been no cases of the disease imported into Russia so far.
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