Russia has no cases of Nipah virus identified in India — Vector Center

MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. Russia has no cases of the deadly Nipah virus detected in bats in India, the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector told TASS on Wednesday. "No cases of the Nipah virus have been recorded in the Russian Federation," the statement says. The Vector Center added that while the virus regularly hits Bangladesh and India, there are conditions for its transmission to people in other regions. "Although they [outbreaks] are currently local, the vast habitats of the animals that are virus reservoirs in wildlife, the possible presence of unknown reservoirs as well as the susceptibility of some domestic animals to the virus are prerequisites for humans to be infected in other regions. The increasing anthropogenic impact on the ecosystems, where the virus recirculates, and more frequent contacts with the disease-carrying agents could eventually become a factor in increasing the burden of disease in the future," the center noted. Nipah virus Earlier, India’s National Institute of Virology discovered the Nipah virus in bats in Maharashtra State. The Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1998, and since then outbreaks have been periodically reported in Asia. The virus causes brain inflammation and severe respiratory diseases. Currently, the disease has no treatment or preventive medicines, although development is underway and at the stage of clinical trials. The clinical course of the disease could vary from asymptomatic to very severe, with acute encephalitis. According to some estimates, the fatality rate of the Nipah virus can reach 40-75%. Basic precautionary measures are hand hygiene, there should be no contact with either sick or dead pigs and bats, while raw palm juice and unwashed fruit should not be consumed. Read more