“What is the treatment for the NIPAH?”
I read on ABC about this virus recently. I know it's spreading only in India but I researched into it and saw that there were cases in both Malaysia and Singapore. How dangerous is this disease? How is it being treated?
3 Answers
Nipah is a virus that can cause fatal respiratory disease or encephalitis with seizures Mortality is 45 to 70 percent. There is no treatment or effective vaccine. While it can be transmitted person to person, it more commonly comes from contact with infected fruit bats or pigs. It has caused outbreaks in Malaysia and India.
Maira Jessica Medellin-Peña
Infectious Disease Specialist
Outbreaks have been seen in Malaysia and southern India and for the moment people from outer Countries should not be overly concerned. It is an emergent zoonotic disease that has a high mortality rate (75%) and the main treatment is intensive supportive care, in some patients with encephalitis, using an antiviral agent (like Ribavirin) has been proven to reduce mortality (Chong et al., 2001).
The virus is highly virulent with a high mortality and has contacted by contact with infected pigs. Treatment is only symptomatic and supportive. Likelihood of contact in United States is highly highly unlikely at this time
