Nipah virus was first identified in 1999 following a large outbreak affecting Malaysia and Singapore. The virus is one of eight categories of ...SkiptomaincontentAblackflyingfox(Pteropus)feedingonapalmtreeinQueensland,Australia.BatsandpalmscanbothcarryNipahvirustohumans.(AndrewMercerviaWikimediaCommons)SharethisstorySharethisstoryonfacebookSharethisstoryontwitterSharethisstoryonredditSharethisstoryonlinkedinGetthisstory'spermalinkPrintthisstoryLekshmySreekumar@dukenusSINGAPORE--NipahvirusexpertsandstakeholdersgatheredataninternationalconferenceinSingaporeDec.9and10tocommemoratethe20thanniversaryofthevirus’discoveryandtodiscussinnovativeandeffectivesolutionstocombatthethreattoglobalhealthsecurityposedbyNipah.Thetwo-daysessionwasco-hostedbyDuke-NUSMedicalSchool(Duke-NUS)andtheCoalitionforEpidemicPreparednessInnovations(CEPI).Nipahviruswasfirstidentifiedin1999followingalargeoutbreakaffectingMalaysiaandSingapore.ThevirusisoneofeightcategoriesofdiseasesthattheWorldHealthOrganizationhasidentifiedasepidemicthreatsinneedofprioritization.Overthepast20years,thevirushascontinuedtospreadoverthousandsofkilometerstoBangladeshandIndia.Theviruscausesseveredisease,includingrespiratorysymptomsandinflammationofthebrainleadingtocomaanddeath.RecordedmortalityratesinMalaysia,BangladeshandIndiaarebetween40and90percent.In2001,theviruswasdetectedinBangladeshandsincethen,frequentoutbreakshaveoccurredinthecountry.AnoutbreakinKerala,India,in2018claimed17lives.“TherearecurrentlynospecificdrugsorvaccinesforNipahvirusinfection,eventhoughtheWHOhasidentifiedNipahasaprioritydiseasefortheWHOResearchandDevelopmentBlueprint,”saidProfessorWangLinfa,directorofDuke-NUS’emerginginfectiousdiseases.“Throughtheconference,weaimtostimulatedialoguebetweenexpertsandstakeholderstobringaboutinnovativeandeffectivesolutionstoboosteffortsinfightingNipahvirus.”Nipahisazoonoticvirus,whichmeansthatitcanbespreadtohumansfromanimals.Itisspreadprimarilybybats(specificallyPteropusfruitbats)andpigs.Itcanalsobetransmittedthroug